Dream Comes True: Bangladesh Break 22-Year Curse against India

The football fraternity of Bangladesh experienced an amazing night on Tuesday as their national football team broke the 22-year curse against India with a thrilling 1-0 victory in their second-leg match of the ongoing AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualification (Third Round) at the National Stadium in Dhaka.

It was a 'Dream Come True' for the South Asian nation, ranked 183rd in FIFA, who had spent 22 years waiting to experience this historical moment after a long series of wasted opportunities.

The credit definitely goes to star forward Sheikh Morsalin, who struck in the 12th minute of the first half following a brilliant assist from forward Rakib Hossain.

However, the true anchor of Bangladesh's resistance was Hamza Choudhury, who marshalled the backline brilliantly to help end the 22-year winless run against their arch-rivals.

"Definitely, dream come true,” Hamza said after the match. You can have more than one dream, you know. So, this is one of my dreams," said Hamaza after the match. 

"I feel really very happy because we won. I just joined and Shamit joined late. We just try and add a bit of quality, a bit of mentality... There are 180 million people that we all make happy today… you can't really compete with that anywhere else. So, yeah, it's definitely right up there," he added. 

The Men in Red and Green last tasted victory against India in the semifinals of the SAFF Championship 2003, which also took place at the same venue. 

However, the atmosphere and the squad were vastly different. Crucially, the 2003 team—often referred to as the last golden generation of Bangladesh's football history—did not feature current stars like Hamza, Morsalin, Rakib, Jamal, or Samit.

The Bangladesh squad, led by  Rajani Kanta Barman, beat India by 2-1 goals to qualify for the final. 

However, on Tuesday, India began the match looking sharp, hungry, and in control during the initial ten minutes. However, the dynamics swiftly changed when Bangladesh capitalized on a counter-attack to take the lead in the 11th minute. 

Forward Rakib Hossain darted down the left wing and delivered a brilliant cross to the onrushing Sheikh Morsalin. Morsalin made no mistake, sending the ball home from close range. Indian goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh, having come forward to clear the ball, was given no chance. This strike marked Morsalin's seventh international goal for Bangladesh.

The match soon became a scene of intense drama. India came closest to scoring in the 31st minute when Bangladesh almost conceded following a mistake by goalkeeper Mitul Marma. Midfielder Lallianzuala took a shot at the open net, but Hamza Choudhury executed a phenomenal goal-line clearance, saving his team from a certain goal at the cost of a corner. 

Hamza nearly turned scorer just before half-time, unleashing a left-footed volley in the 43rd minute that sailed harmlessly over the bar.

Following the resumption, India desperately sought to restore parity, creating two real scoring chances within three minutes. In the 52nd minute, defender Rahul Bheke's close-range header from inside the danger zone narrowly went out of play.

Two minutes later, substitute midfielder Majhesh Singh's powerful, angular shot from the edge of the D-box narrowly missed the target.

India pressed again in the 70th minute, but substitute Mohammad Sanan's well-judged shot from inside the D-box also passed wide of the left post. Bangladesh had an opportunity to increase their lead in the 78th minute, but substitute Sakil Topu's long-range shot was brilliantly gripped by Indian custodian Gurpreet Singh.

Although India showed flashes of attacking flair throughout the second half, they struggled to carve open the resolute Bangladesh defense. 

When India did manage to get shots off, goalkeeper Mitul Marma was equal to the task. Despite a few late attempts by India to salvage pride, Bangladesh's backline remained resolute, wrapping up an assured performance and securing the historic 1-0 victory.

With the win, Bangladesh moved to the third position in the table of the four-team Group C with five points from five matches while India remained bottom of the table with two points playing the same number of matches.

Head coach Javier Cabrera credited the victory to the collective effort of the whole squad, praising every player from the starters right through to the late substitutes.

"It's been everyone… absolutely every single player performed well today," Cabrera said, adding that even for himself, recovering from earlier setbacks had not been easy.

Meanwhile, Adviser to the Youth and Sports Ministry Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan announced a BDT 2 crore reward for the team. “I’m proud to witness this historic moment while in office. Bangladesh gifted the nation an incredible performance,” he said after the match.