Bangladesh finished fourth in Group-E of the AFC U-23 Championship Qualifiers after being held to a goalless draw by perennial rivals India at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday. 
The hosts, who came into the final fixture on the back of two heavy defeats against Syria and Uzbekistan like their opponents, dominated the game in terms of possession and attacking intent, but never really looked like getting the goal throughout this game. India, on the other hand, failed to replicate the spirit they had shown in their two previous matches, but had the consolation of ending above their hosts, thanks to conceding lesser goals in the qualification campaign.
Bangladesh coach Lodewijk de Kruif was satisfied with the performance from his charges in this game, conceding that the other two teams in the group belonged to a different class.

The game which ended in a 0-0 draw also witnessed a total blackout due to power failure. Photos: Star

“I'm not satisfied with finishing bottom of the group, but I'm satisfied with today's performance,” said the Dutch in his post-match reaction. “We didn't have much chance against Syria and Uzbekistan because of the difference in quality. We will have to admit that this is our level.”
De Kruif had brought four changes in the starting eleven from the match against Uzbekistan. Striker Aminur Rahman Shajib replaced Wahed Ahmed, defender Nurul Naim Faisal came in place of suspended skipper Raihan Hasan while midfielder Shahedul Alam replaced Nahidul Islam as the team reverted to a 4-2-3-1.

The hosts held the lion's share of possession in the opening half, yet failed to make any penetrative movement inside the Indian defence. The two notable chances in this period fell to the Indians somewhat against the run of play. The first one chance came in the 33rd minute when a lapse in concentration from Faisal gifted India forward Charan Narzary with possession on the edge of the box, but the stand-in centre-back managed to get his side out of trouble just in time. Nine minutes later, Nazary was on the end of a looping cross but his bouncing header was efficiently parried away by the Bangladesh goalkeeper Rasel Mahmud Liton.
The hosts continued their dominance into second half – which started with a 21-minute-delay due to a power failure at the nearest substation – and kept the Indians confined mostly in their own half. The stand-out performer, attacking midfielder Hemanta Vincent Biswas, unsettled the India backline with galloping speed and a couple of perfectly-weighted crosses, but unfortunately the Bangladesh front-men failed to be on the same page as their inspirational midfielder. The best chance, though, came on the hour-mark on a corner from Sohel Rana which Yeasin Khan failed to keep on target. Twelve minutes later, Shajib failed to get on the end of a beautiful cross from Hemanta.
The hosts kept going into offensive but hardly threatened the India goal as the visitors were content with biding out time for a goalless draw. The match that was an opportunity for both sides to salvage some pride ended up offering little solace to either at the end of a forgettable campaign.