
Bangladesh conceded at the death to suffer 1-0 defeat to Bhutan in their second and final FIFA international friendly match at the Changlimithang Football Stadium in Thimphu on Sunday.
Super-sub Kinga Wangchuk volleyed the ball home in the 90th minute to tie the series 1-1 as the hosts lost the first game by similar margin at the same venue on Thursday.
This was Bangladesh’s first defeat against Bhutan since October 2016, and the second in their 16th meeting since 1984.
The setback to Bhutan on Sunday may have harmed Bangladesh’s chances of improving its FIFA rankings, as a win might assist them secure Pot-3 rather than Pot-4 in the third round of AFC Asian Cup qualifiers draw in December.
Bhutan fared significantly better than in the previous game, fighting neck-to-neck with the visitors on Sunday.
They seized on a set-piece opportunity created by substitute forward Dawa Tshering. Tshering’s shot landed inside the box before Wangchuk’s strike sailed past Bangladesh custodian Mitul Marma into the net.
Bangladesh coach Javier Cabrera criticised his team’s missed opportunities that resulted to defeat.
‘We got chances but ended up with a defeat that obviously we did not want,’ said the Spaniard in the post-match press conference.
‘We had a couple of good opportunities in the first half, but we were not able to finish those. Again in the second half, we could not finish a couple of easy chances. If you make that kind of mistake, it is difficult to have something positive,’ he said.