Bangladesh strike late to eliminate Uzbekistan

Runa Akter struck a dramatic stoppage-time winner as Bangladesh broke Uzbek hearts with a thrilling 2-1 victory in their AFC U-17 Women’s Asian Cup 2027 qualifying clash in Tashkent on Thursday, setting up a group decider against the Philippines.

Uzbekistan, desperate after Monday's 4-0 defeat to the Philippines, suffered an early blow when Bangladesh drew first blood in the fourth minute. Fatema Akter launched a sweeping pass to Purnima Marma, who spotted goalkeeper Mariya Khalkulova off her line and chipped the ball home.

The lead lasted just 13 minutes. Airin Khatun hesitated near her own penalty area, allowing Farangiz Lakaeva to steal possession and slot past goalkeeper Meghla Rani Roy to level the tie.

Following a tense second half where both Bangladesh's Alpi Akter and Uzbekistan's Mubina Bakhtiyorova saw close-range efforts saved, the touring side struck on the break. In the third minute of added time, Sorovi Rani released Runa with a perfect through ball. The forward held her nerve one-on-one to drill home the winner, eliminating the hosts from Group H.

Despite the joy of victory, head coach AKM Saiful Bari Titu remained grounded. "I am proud of the girls for fighting to collect three points. However, we could not execute our game plan as intended," he said.

Looking ahead to Sunday's finale, where only the group winner advances to the main tournament in China, Titu warned his squad to raise their game. "A win is a win, but we must improve further to compete with the Philippines," he explained.

On the quick turnaround, the tactician concluded: "We have two days to recover. Friday is for recovery, followed by tactical preparation. The non-starters will also get some physical work. It will be a very difficult match, and seeing today, we know we must step up."