Samad's 86th-minute goal breaks the dream: Bangladesh out of SAFF semifinal, losing 1-0 to Pakistan

A single goal in the closing minutes ended Bangladesh's 21-year wait. Hosts Bangladesh went out of the SAFF Championship on Saturday night, losing 1-0 to Pakistan in the second semifinal at the National Stadium in Dhaka. Abdul Samad's 86th-minute goal took Pakistan into the SAFF final for the first time in their history.

Bangladesh had reached the last four unbeaten, without conceding a goal in the group stage. Thomas Dooley's side took the field dreaming of a first final since 2005 and of ending a 23-year title drought. Instead, the first goal they conceded in the tournament came at the most important moment of all.

Bangladesh made two changes to their eleven. Rahmat Mia returned at right-back in place of Saad Uddin, who was out with an Achilles tendon injury, and in attack Shuki took the place of Mohammad Ibrahim. Alongside goalkeeper Mehedi Hasan Srabon, Rahmat and Rakib Hossain, the eleven included eight expatriate footballers. Pakistan, too, had been strengthened, with five expatriate players joining their squad after the group stage.

The visitors tried to press Bangladesh with attacking football at the start. In the second minute, Srabon reacted sharply to keep out Ali Uzair's powerful shot from outside the box. Bangladesh soon took control of midfield, however; in the seventh minute, Kazem Shah's shot from Rakib Hossain's pass was gathered by Pakistan goalkeeper Yusuf Butt.

Bangladesh's best chance of the first half came in the 23rd minute. Rakib met Shamit Shome's header inside the box with a left-foot shot, but Yusuf Butt got down to turn it away. Two minutes later, Srabon saved Bangladesh again, stopping another Ali Uzair effort.

Bangladesh survived a big scare in the 32nd minute with the help of fortune. Abdul Samad, meeting Ali Uzair's cross inside the box, saw his shot come back off the right post. The post had denied him in the first half, but in the end it was Samad's goal that left Bangladesh in tears.

The hosts created two more chances before the break. In the 38th minute, Yusuf Butt dived to stop Rakib's long-range shot, and in the 42nd, Shuki, unmarked on the left of the box from Zidan Yusuf's pass, blazed over. The teams went in goalless.

The second half was just as even. In the 54th minute, Shamit Shome's powerful shot from the middle of the box, off Rakib's pass, was blocked by the Pakistan defence. Looking for more pace in attack, coach Thomas Dooley replaced Shuki with Mohammad Ibrahim in the 62nd minute.

Pakistan's Ali Uzair left the field injured in the 74th minute, replaced by Haiyan Khattak — the substitute midfielder who would play a big part in deciding the match. Bangladesh brought on Bishwanath Ghosh for Rahmat Mia in the 76th minute; in that same minute, Srabon skilfully kept out Adil Nabi's low diagonal shot from outside the box.

In the 85th minute Srabon stood as Bangladesh's saviour once more, turning away Ali Khan's right-foot shot from the left of the box off Abdul Samad's pass. But moments later Srabon himself made the mistake. His throw went to Khattak, who passed to Samad. Receiving the ball on the right of the box, Abdul Samad sent a low left-foot shot in through the far post.

Play was then held up for about five minutes in added time because of smoke flares thrown by spectators. Bangladesh tried desperately in the remaining time but could not equalise; when the final whistle blew, the home players broke down in tears.

Earlier, in the day's first semifinal, defending champions India beat Bhutan 2-1 to reach the SAFF final for a record 14th time. On 17 November, first-time finalists Pakistan will face India for the title.