Margao, April 24 :
BANGLADESH 4 PAKISTAN 0It was a devastating start for Pakistan at the SAFF Coca-Cola Cup here today. At a virtually vacant Nehru Stadium, Bangladesh toyed with a weak Pakistan defence and banged in four goals, conceding none, to be at the head of the field with four points from two matches. This was also the first match of the meet yielding a result, following two goalless ties.
Pakistan, who came in with more security than footballing skills, were never in the game, down 0-2 in the first half itself. Bangladesh?s Mizanur Rehman scored two after Iqbal Hossain Iqbal and Alfaz Ahmed had given Bangla a fine 2-0 start.
There was not much Pakistan could do with a defence line that they have. More often than not the back four were caught in a single line and goalkeeper Muhammad Younis was anyway a bundle of nerves. Interestingly, he had a pretty good run in the last SAFF Cup in Kathmandu.
Mustafa Anwar Parvez of Bangladesh had just seen one of his volleys being saved by Younis for a corner when, in the sixth minute, Iqbal Hossain trapped a pass ten yards off the bar. He let go a low volley and Younis timed it all wrong. The ball was in the netting before the goalkeeper could recollect his wits.
In the 15th minute, a 30-yard shot from Pakistan?s Muhammad Amir Khan was well saved by Bangla goalkeeper Aminul Haq. That, however, was one of the rare occasions when the Pakistani forwards could manage a look-in of the rival citadel.
The Pakistani defence was laid bare again in the 32nd minute. A lobbed volley at goal saw the goalkeeper fumbling but fortunately, there were three defenders ready behind Younis, and one deflected the ball. The safety net, though, was not around, as the ball returned to play and Alfaz volleyed in from inside the box.
That was when the Pakistan think-tank reacted. They substituted Younis, bringing in Zahid Taj. Not that this helped and even boosting the defence with the induction of Tanveer Ahmed did not click either.
Seventeen minutes into the second half, substitute Zakir Hossain Shahin centred from the top of the box to Mizanur. Mizanur trapped, easily dodged a defender and the advancing goalkeeper and volleyed in.
There was no steam left in the Pakistan team by then. They were just going through the motions. Adding insult to injury, Bangladesh stepped up the attack.
In the 66th minute Pradip Kumar Poddar prompted a pass to Mizanur who feinted a defender and, as goalkeeper Zahid advanced, sent a right-footed volley home from close.
Bangladesh could have won by a bigger margin, but a lot of tardy shooting came in the way.
TEAMS
Bangladesh: Aminul Haq, M. Hassan Al-Mamun, Rajani Kanta Barman, P.K. Poddar, Jewel Rana, M.M. Rahman Munna, I. Hossain Iqbal, Munawar Hossain (Zakir Hossain Shahin, 46), Mustafa Anwar Parvez (Rakib Hossain, 30), Alfaz Ahmed.
Pakistan: Mohammed Younis (Zahid Taj, 38), Parvaiz (Tanveer Ahmed, 38), Amir Khan, Bashir Ahmed, Zahid Rafiq, Mohammed Tariq, Sarfraz Rasool, Mohammed Arshad, Mohammed Umar, Haroon Yousaf, Shahid (Nazir Ismail, 51).
Referee: S. Salearajan (Malaysia).





