Bhutan Hold Bangladesh

Bangladesh kicked off their fifth SAFF Championship campaign dourly when the 2003 champions were held to a 1-1 draw by minnows Bhutan yesterday.

Although 2005 SAFF runners-up Bangladesh's chances to regain the trophy looked remote when they left for Sri Lanka last month, everyone had taken a victory for granted against Bhutan, who lost all their previous six matches in 2003 and 2005 SAFF Championships.

Despite the threat of heavy rains of an early monsoon, which has created massive flood and landslide in Sri Lanka, killing at least 17 people and forcing over 2.5-lakh people to leave their homes, the match began on schedule at the Sugathadasa Stadium, which had its pitch waterlogged on Tuesday.

Bangladesh went ahead after 26 minutes through defender-turned midfielder Arup Baidya's maiden international goal following a solo effort but Abu Yusuf's side conceded the stunning equaliser in the 79th minute.

It was Nima Sanghe who scored Bhutan's second ever goal against Bangladesh after losing all five earlier matches, 3-0 in the 2005 SAFF in Karachi, 3-0 in the 2003 SAFF in Dhaka, 3-1 in a friendly in Dhaka in 2001, 3-0 in the 1987 SAF Games in Kolkata amd 2-0 in the Kathmandu SAF Games in 1984.

Meanwhile, co-hosts Maldives got off to a perfect start when they crushed Pakistan 3-0 on Tuesday night in Male. Mohamed Shifan put the home side ahead in the dying minutes of first half and ace striker Ahmed Thoriq's header early in the second half doubled the lead. An own goal by Pakistan defender Naveed Akram in the final seconds of the game sealed the victory for Maldives.