The AHF Cup started yesterday in Jakarta, Indonesia. Bangladesh made a strong start by beating Kazakhstan 5-1 in their first group match on Friday evening. Sohanur Rahman Sabuj was named Man of the Match.
Bangladesh had never lost to Kazakhstan before, but the game was tied 1-1 until the 37th minute, making it a tense moment. However, Bangladesh took control in the last two quarters, scoring four more goals to secure a clear win. In the 2022 AHF Cup, Bangladesh had scored 8 goals against Kazakhstan.
In this match, Bangladesh couldn’t score in the first quarter. Ashraful Islam gave them the lead in the 9th minute of the second quarter with a goal from a penalty corner. Kazakhstan equalized six minutes later, also from a penalty corner. The teams went into halftime tied. In the third quarter, Naim Uddin scored from a penalty corner to give Bangladesh the lead again, and just a minute later, Rakibul added a field goal to strengthen their position.
In the 44th minute, Sohanur Rahman Sabuj scored from a penalty corner, making it 4-1 for Bangladesh. Near the end of the match, Bangladesh got a penalty stroke, and Ashraful scored, finishing the game with a 5-1 win.
Bangladesh will face host team Indonesia on Sunday. Their other group opponents in Group B are Sri Lanka and Thailand. The top two teams from each group will move on to the semi-finals and also qualify for the Asia Cup. Bangladesh has won the last four AHF Cup tournaments.