Bangladesh earned a respective and hard-fought draw against mighty Lebanon in the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying match in Group I at Kings Arena Stadium on Tuesday. The match ended in a 1-1 draw.
Both teams were goalless in the first half. After the break, the hosts, Bangladesh, scored an own goal from inside their box in the 67th minute. Lebanon seized an excellent opportunity following a defensive error by Bangladesh's backline. The goalkeeper leaves the goal exposed, and Majed Osman, who was just substituted in, took advantage by successfully slotting the ball into the net.
But the best moment for Bangladesh in the match was that of 17-year-old midfielder Sheikh Morsalin. Bangladesh swiftly responds with a comeback as Morsalin took control of the ball, maneuvered through, and took a powerful shot from outside the box. The shot found the target, resultingin an equalizer, allowing Bangladesh to get back into the game. It was a quick and impactful response from the team
Jamal Bhuiya and Co were defeated 7-0 in their first match against Australia in this group. Lebanon drew goalless in their first match against Palestine.
Bangladesh (183) are 79 steps behind Lebanon (104 in the FIFA ranking). But in the match, at least in the first half, that difference was not so clear. Instead, Bangladesh played attacking football for the rest of the first half to handle the initial pressure from Lebanon. More than one goal could have come at this time. But Morsalin and Faisal Ahmed could not score despite getting the ball in a good position. The packed audience also acted as a twelfth man for Bangladesh in this match.
Bangladesh coach Javier Cabrera has made four changes from the eleven against Lebanon. Shakil Hossain replaced Hasan Murad in defense.
Isa Faisal replaced another defender, Saaduddin, who was not allowed due to two yellow cards. Sheikh Morsalin replaced winger Rakib Hossain, who was sidelined in the previous match due to two yellow cards. Apart from this, Sohail Rana Junior returned to the XI in place of midfielder Mujibur Rahman Johnny, who was unable to play the Australia match due to a red card.