Bangladesh began their SAFF Championship 2026 campaign with a narrow 1-0 victory over Bhutan at the National Stadium in Dhaka on Thursday, thanks to a second-half strike from substitute Mohammad Ibrahim.
The Fortis FC forward scored in the 69th minute, just four minutes after entering the field. He capitalised on a loose ball inside the box after Shamit Shome’s header took a deflection off a Bhutan defender, giving the hosts a crucial breakthrough.
Despite playing in front of around 10,000 spectators, Bangladesh struggled to impose themselves against a lower-ranked Bhutan side. Head coach Thomas Dooley’s decision to start centre-back Bishwanath Ghosh as the lone striker also came under scrutiny after the team failed to find an early goal.
Bangladesh faced an unexpected change before kick-off when Topu Barman suffered a muscle injury during the warm-up. The setback forced Dooley to reorganise his starting lineup, with Jamal Bhuyan taking the captain’s armband.
The hosts created several opportunities but lacked accuracy in the final third. Dooley’s decision to introduce Ibrahim in the 65th minute eventually proved decisive, as the forward quickly changed the attacking momentum.
Bangladesh now have three points and will face Sri Lanka on November 11. Earlier, defending champions India opened the competition with a dramatic 3-2 victory over Pakistan after surviving a late comeback.
