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Editor's Pick Could Trump's electoral defeat make the world less secure? 53 MIN(s) • Geopolitical Insights Why do some resent garment workers' demand for a living wage? 4 November 2026 • Views Padma Barrage: Why Bangladesh needs it and the challenges ahead 35 MIN(s) • Big Picture US midterms: Why Bangladesh has a stake in the result 1 November 2026 • Geopolitical Insights A 93rd birthday tribute / How Amartya Sen changed the way we understand development 4 November 2026 • Big Picture Two wins, one nightmare: What happened the last time Bangladesh hosted the SAFF Championship Expectations are soaring as Bangladesh dials up preparations for the SAFF Championship 2026, kicking off this Thursday at the National Stadium. Fielding arguably their strongest squad in years, the men in red and green are desperate to harness the energy of a raucous home crowd to reclaim the regional crown they last lifted in 2003. Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source Yet, as the hype builds, so does the lingering shadow of the last time Dhaka hosted the tournament in 2018 -- a campaign that began with soaring optimism and ended in crushing defeat. The hosts got off to a dream start in Group A, dispatching Bhutan to set the tone for the tournament. Defender Topu Barman sent the home crowd into a frenzy by converting a penalty in the very third minute. The advantage was doubled shortly after the break when striker Mahbubur Rahman Sufil utilised his blistering pace to latch onto a lobbed through ball, beating the goalkeeper with a thunderous right-footed volley across the face of goal in the 47th minute to seal a comfortable 2-0 victory. In the group’s other match, Pakistan stunned Nepal 2-1.   Despite entering as clear favorites, Bangladesh endured a frustrating evening of squandered chances in both halves. The match looked destined for a barren draw until the 85th minute, when Topu emerged as the hero once again. The centre-back rose highest to head home a long throw-in from Bishwanath Ghosh, sparking wild celebrations that earned Topu a yellow card for stripping off his jersey. The late 1-0 win secured a perfect six points from two games, putting Bangladesh firmly atop Group A. Nepal, meanwhile, staged an emphatic comeback with a 4-0 thrashing of Bhutan. With Pakistan and Nepal both sitting on three points and Bhutan on zero, the equation was remarkably simple for the hosts: avoid defeat against Nepal in the final game, or hope Pakistan failed to beat Bhutan, to guarantee a semifinal berth. All Bangladesh needed was a draw at the Bangabandhu National Stadium. Instead, they delivered a catastrophic collapse. The tension mounted early as Pakistan won the day’s previous fixture against Bhutan, meaning a loss for Bangladesh would create a messy three-way tie on six points. Disaster struck in the first half courtesy of an awful blunder by goalkeeper Shahidul Alam Sohel, who fumbled a routine ball to gift Nepal the lead. The hosts failed to muster a response; their only shot on target in the first half was a tame 42nd-minute left-footed effort from Tutul Hossain Badshah from the edge of the box that barely troubled Nepal keeper Kiran Kumar. As Bangladesh pushed desperately for a late equaliser, substitute Nawayug Shrestha killed the game off in the 90th minute, converting a pass from Bishal Rai to seal a 2-0 win for Nepal. For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. The result drastically swung the goal-difference math. Nepal (+5) finished as group champions, Pakistan (+3) took the runners-up spot, and Bangladesh, having seen their goal difference drop from +3 to +1, suffered the ultimate humiliation of crashing out in the group stage despite winning two of their three matches. The aftermath of the devastating exit was defined by Sohel's agonising explanation of his fatal error. "There is nothing to say. I spent a sleepless night and walked around in the room the whole night," the devastated goalkeeper told The Daily Star after the match. "To be honest, I wasn't double-minded. The ball was coming straight from the floodlights and I could not see the ball. I raised my hands in the air without seeing anything and the ball slipped from my grip." BANGLADESH FOOTBALL TEAM BFF BANGLADESH VS BHUTAN BANGLADESH VS NEPAL HAMZA CHOUDHURY Comments Comments Policy Related News Bangladesh ready to seize home advantage 1 SEC(s) • Football Bangladesh have hope, now comes the hard part 3 MIN(s) • Football Little fanfare, plenty of chaos ahead of SAFF Championship 1 SEC(s) • Football Believe it or not! 53 red cards in one match 1 SEC(s) • Football Nico Paz’s emotional tribute to Jesus de Miguel 2 SEC(s) • Football