Tigers roar, but India holds firm in Shillong stalemate

Bangladesh, ranked 185th, bared their teeth against 126th-ranked India on Tuesday, but the AFC Cup qualifier in Shillong ended in a tense 0-0 draw.

Hamza Chowdhury’s squad punched above their weight, rattling the hosts early and often—yet the net stayed stubbornly still.  

The whistle barely blew before Bangladesh pounced. Thirty seconds in, Mujibur Rahman Johnny snatched a gift from Indian keeper Vishal Bayet’s fumble—only to flub the cutback. India exhaled. Ten minutes later, Vishal blundered again; Mohammad Hridoy nabbed the ball but couldn’t cash in. By the 19th, Morsalin’s header grazed the post—three scares, 16,000 Indian fans mute, and Javier Cabrera’s men still goalless.  

The hosts wobbled, then steadied. Disaster struck Bangladesh at 22 minutes: captain Tapu Barman crumpled, stretchered off with Rahmat Mia stepping in. India sniffed a shift—Liston Colasso’s tame 28th-minute shot tested Mitul Marma, who barely blinked. At the half-hour, a counterattack handed Udanta Singh a golden chance; young Shakil Ahmed Topu’s block and Marma’s clutch save kept the slate clean.  

Bangladesh pressed to the end. In the 82nd, Johnny found Vishal stranded—but the keeper charged, smothering the shot. India clung on. “We felt ahead at times,” a Bangladesh camp insider mused, pride tinged with what-ifs. For Hamza’s crew, it was a fight well fought—just no finish.  

On Indian turf, Bangladesh flexed muscle but not magic. India, relieved, settled for the point. The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium held its breath, then sighed—two sides locked, neither broken. For Hamza’s Tigers, it’s a tale of near-misses; for India, a dodged bullet.