Hamza fever breaks gates at National Stadium

Hamza Choudhury's presence has transformed the atmosphere at the National Stadium, where hundreds of Bangladesh supporters forced their way through the gates to watch the hosts take on Sri Lanka in the SAFF Championship on Wednesday.

After struggling to attract spectators during the opening days of the tournament, the stadium witnessed an extraordinary rush ahead of Bangladesh's final Group A match, with security personnel left struggling to control the crowd as supporters pushed past the gates.

Wednesday was the final day of the group stage, with India facing Maldives in the first match. Around 1,000 spectators watched that game from the stands, but the numbers grew as the Bangladesh-Sri Lanka kick-off approached. By then, supporters were forcing their way into the stadium.

Before and after the start of the match, groups of fans entered through several entrances on multiple occasions. Security personnel failed to stop the uncontrolled entry through gates three and four, as supporters ignored their attempts to hold them back. Some were also heard chanting 'Bhuya Bhuya'.

The scenes were in stark contrast to the disappointing attendance during the early matches of the tournament. The minimum ticket price of Tk 1,000 had drawn complaints from supporters from the beginning. Even a 50 per cent discount for students on the opening day failed to fill the stands. Organisers later reduced ticket prices by Tk 200, bringing the minimum rate down to Tk 800, but that made little difference.

The stands remained largely empty during Wednesday's India-Maldives match. However, interest in Bangladesh's games grew significantly after Hamza returned to Dhaka. The chance to watch the English Premier League footballer in action sparked excitement among local supporters.

That excitement was evident against Sri Lanka. Minar Hossain, who travelled from Mohammadpur, had a ticket but could not enter as officials closed the fourth gate after failing to manage the crowd.

"All my friends had already entered the stands, but I was stuck because the ticket checkers could not control the crowd and closed the gate. Even after the match started, they were not opening it. Later, when supporters broke through the gate, I entered with them," he said.

Those who made it inside had plenty to celebrate. Bangladesh took a 2-0 half-time lead through Shamit Shome and captain Hamza, who scored in the eighth and 44th minutes respectively.

The celebrations reached another level in the 53rd minute when Farhan Ali Wahid produced a moment of individual brilliance. Picking up the ball outside the box, Farhan drove down the left, danced past three Sri Lankan defenders and created space before beating the goalkeeper with a precise right-footed finish.

Even Hamza, standing nearby, looked amazed by the goal. Farhan's team-mates rushed to celebrate, with Saad Uddin and several others lifting the forward on their shoulders.