B’desh desh faces favourite Uzbekistan today

High flying Bangladesh Under-23 team will play top seed Uzbekistan in their 2nd Group B match of the 17th Asian Games Men's Football at the Ansan Wa-Stadium in Incheon, South Korea today (Thursday), hoping to keep their 2nd round berth alive, reports UNB.

Earlier, on the day (Thursday), Hong Kong will play Afghanistan at the same venue.

Bangladesh team made a dream start upsetting upper-ranked and SAFF champions Afghanistan by a solitary goal scored by Captain Mamunul Islam at the Munhak Stadium Monday (Sept 15) to return to winning track in the Asian Games Football after 28 years.

After the match, Bangladesh topped the Group B list securing full three points while Uzbekistan and Hong Kong followed Bangladesh with one point each playing a 1-1 draw.

Bangladesh, placed in the four-nation Group B along with stronger Uzbekistan, Hong Kong and Afghanistan, will play their last group match against another upper-ranked Hong Kong on Sept 22 at the Hwaseong Sport Complex in Incheon.

Bangladesh's feat against Afghanistan Monday was the 3rd win in their 21 matches of the Asian Games Football after beating Nepal 1-0 in the Seoul Asian Games in 1986 and defeating Malaysia 2-1 in the Delhi Asian Games in 1982. Twenty-nine Asian nations, split into eight groups, are competing in the men's soccer of the Asian Games.

Later, group champions and runners-up teams will qualify for the round of 16.

Earlier in the preparatory practice match in Incheon, Bangladesh Under-23 Football team conceded a 2-4 defeat against Vietnam Under-23 at the Munhak Football field on last Wednesday.

Asian Games-bound Bangladesh Football team played two international friendly matches at home against Nepal and drew the series 1-1.

Bangladesh beat Nepal 1-0 in the first match at Army Stadium in Banani while they lost 0-1 against the visitors at the Sylhet Stadium.