Bangladesh’s campaign in the FIFA ASEAN Cup ended on a disappointing note as they suffered a massive 9-2 defeat against host nation Indonesia in their third and final group stage match. The fixture coincided with the birthday of star player Dewan Hamza Chowdhury, and while his teammates aimed to deliver a positive result in his honor, the squad was ultimately overwhelmed at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta.
The match turned into a showcase for Indonesian striker Mitchell Duke, an Australian-born talent who dominated the proceedings by scoring five goals, including a hat-trick. Indonesia’s offense was relentless throughout the encounter, establishing a commanding 6-1 lead by halftime. Despite a spirited defensive effort from the likes of Hamza and Shamit in the opening ten minutes, the floodgates opened in the 11th minute when Duke converted a cutback from Romini. He extended the lead in the 20th minute during a scramble in the box, and by the 32nd minute, the hosts had extended their advantage to 3-0.
Bangladesh managed to find the back of the net twice, with Shahriyar Emon and Farhan Ali Wahid providing the goals. Emon scored a header from a cross by Shuki in the 36th minute to narrow the score to 4-1. However, Indonesia responded immediately, and Duke secured his fourth goal and the team’s fifth via a header in the 42nd minute following a defensive mispass. By the time the first half concluded, Indonesia had further extended their lead to 6-1. The second half saw the hosts add three more goals while Bangladesh managed one in return.
Head coach rotation strategies saw Farhan Ali Wahid, Swadhin, and Sohel Rana enter as substitutes, replacing Shamit Som, Shuki Itofusa, and Shahriyar Emon. This defeat marks the end of a difficult tournament for Bangladesh, having lost all three of their matches in Group A, including previous setbacks against Malaysia (3-0) and Singapore (1-0), leaving the team without any points in the group standings.
