Arya News - A majority of the 16,000 fans present at the stadium appeared to have turned out to witness Hamza Choudhury`s first appearance on home soil, and the midfielder did not disappoint.
DHAKA – Bangladesh football star Hamza Choudhury marked his home debut in style, scoring an early goal to help the men in red and green secure a 2-0 victory over Bhutan in a FIFA friendly at the National Stadium on Wednesday.
Hamza, who made his international debut for Bangladesh in March against India in Shillong, opened the scoring in the sixth minute with a towering header from a corner delivered by captain Jamal Bhuiyan. The early goal set the tone for an impressive first-half performance before Hamza was substituted at the break.
A majority of the 16,000 fans present at the stadium appeared to have turned out to witness Hamza’s first appearance on home soil, and the midfielder did not disappoint. During his 45-minute spell, he created multiple chances and was met with roaring applause for every pass, tackle, and touch.
Bangladesh doubled their lead shortly after the restart, with midfielder Sohel Rana curling in a left-footed strike from outside the box. The hosts maintained their 2-0 lead for the remainder of the match, marking a winning return to the National Stadium, which hosted its first football fixture since November 2020 following extensive renovations.
Following the match, both head coaches praised Hamza’s performance.
“Hamza had a big impact in the first-half. He was especially influential at the beginning. When you have a player of his caliber, it’s quite visible. But the rest of the players also performed very well. I think Bhutan were a strong opponent, so it was a different kind of performance from us,” said Bangladesh head coach Javier Cabrera.
Bhutan head coach Atsushi Nakamura echoed the same sentiments, calling Hamza a valuable addition to the Bangladesh squad.
“Not only the goal, but he contributed in many other aspects too. He’s a great addition to the team,” said Nakamura.
“It was a tough game for us, not just because of Hamza, but also due to the strong performances from the rest of the Bangladeshi players,” he added, noting that Bangladesh have improved compared to the side Bhutan faced in Thimphu last year.
Cabrera also expressed satisfaction with the performances of three debutants — Fahamedul Islam, Taj Uddin, and Al Amin — highlighting Fahamedul in particular for his energy and involvement.
“I think he took a bit of time to settle in, maybe due to emotion and tension. But once he completed a few passes, he started making better decisions. More than just his on the ball display, he showed the energy and attitude we’ve been talking about. Having the attitude, productivity and involvement; he did well in all those areas which could earn him more playing time in the next match,” Cabrera said.
Reflecting on the overall performance, Cabrera noted the team’s ability to create numerous chances.
“We scored two goals today, both from midfielders. I don’t know how many chances we had, but there were quite a few. I’d be more concerned if we weren’t creating chances. Fahamedul, Taj, and Al Amin all made solid debuts. Overall, I’m pleased with everyone’s performance,” he added.
Bangladesh will now look ahead to their crucial AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers fixture against Singapore, scheduled for June 10 at the same venue.