Sri Lanka turned in a spirited performance to down Bangladesh 3-0 in an Asian Confederation Cup (AFC) Challenge Cup Football Competition at the Sugathadasa Stadium yesterday. Sri Lanka’s chances of being in the semi-finals of the competition were however dashed as they had to defeat Bangladesh, the first winners of the AFC Cup, by a margin of at least eight goals and hoped for a Tajikistan defeat in the other game yesterday.

Sri Lanka’s forward Izzadeen (No 6) tries to stop Bangladesh’s Nasir. – Pic by Sanka Vidanagama

Sri Lanka could have achieved this target if they had played to a plan. As it was they played rather haphazardly and their positioning was bad and they had no clue as to how to shoot when they had the opportunities.

Kaiz Mohammed Sharfaz scored the first goal in the sixth minute and Sri Lanka led 1-0. Kaiz had another chance of scoring when he beat the defenders a few minutes later but found the Bangladesh goalie charging at him. Kaiz fell and was carried out of the field but came back a few minutes later after medical attention.

Minutes later Sri Lanka banged in the second goal when Chatura Gunaratne turned in a free kick to Sri Lanka’s favour. Chatura’s kick found the goal over the defenders heads. Bangladesh attacked in the next few minutes but they were hesitant and rather slow in their manoeuvres and lost several chances of finding the net. At the breather Sri Lanka led 2-0.

Sri Lanka’s performance after the restart came in for severe criticism as they seemed to lack the spirit to turn their efforts into goals. Against the tide of Bangladeshi attacks Sri Lanka found the net with a solitary goal in this half when forward Sanjeeva Shanmugarajah scored in the 78th minute of play.That was as far as the scoring went. Sri Lanka can gain a lot of consolation from this win as they had earlier succumbed to demoralizing 0-3 defeat at the hands of Myanmar and had lost 1-3 to Kazakhstan.

Referee: Mahapap Chaiya of Thailand.
TODAY: India vs DPR Korea at the Sugathadasa Stadium at 3 pm;Turkmenistan vs Kyrgstan at the CR&FC Grounds also at 3 pm.