Malaysia have been crowned the champions of the Bangabandhu Gold Cup after clinching a close 3-2 win over Bangladesh in the final.
Razip Ismail’s men were initially 2-0 up, before the home side clawed back to make it 2-2. Both sides kept pushing but just when it seemed that the match was destined for extra time, Faizat Ghali found the back of the net in stoppage time, allowing Malaysia to triumph on the night.
Having performed admirably in the semi final, Kumaahran retained his spot in the starting line-up, with Nazirul Naim spearheading their defence. The match started at a pretty even pace with both sides adopting a cautious approach.
But Nazirul Naim broke the deadlock on the 29th minute mark, by executing a terrific free-kick to silence the home crowd. Malaysia’s hero in the semi finals, Kumaahran then doubled their lead five minutes before the break, with a solid finish to put them in the driving seat.
The hosts though, bounced back after the break. Jahid Ameli reduced the deficit just four minutes after the restart before Yeasin Khan leveled the score on the 54th minute, much to the joy of the home crowd.
Both sides then pushed upfront in search of the coveted winner though Razip’s men eventually got the last laugh courtesy of Faizat Ghali’s glancing header in stoppage time.
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