Seychelles holds Bangladesh in nail-biting finish

The second game of the inaugural International Invitational Football Tournament played for the “Mahinda Rajapaksa Trophy” ended in another nail-biting finish when Seychelles held Bangladesh to a 1-all draw at the Race Course Stadium, yesterday.

After trailing 0-1 until the 89th minute of the game, a goal by midfielder Rashid Dan Labrosse saved Seychelles from certain defeat in their curtain-raiser match, after a well-executed goal in the 16th minute of the first half led their rivals to occupy the box seat. Both sides made some teasing moves in a bid to increase their scores, but the Bengali Tigers held their nerve to dominate for a 1-0 lead at the short whistle.

Under the guidance of a new coach, the Bengali Tigers looked focused, and put pressure on their rivals from the start. They adopted an offensive playing strategy intending to create space and made inroads into the opponent’s territory in a bid to make the initial scoring.

They were finally rewarded when striker Ibrahim Mohamed’s exceptional skills on the field broke the deadlock.

He fired a kick from 20 meters out to bisect the rival goalkeeper and score a goal. Meanwhile, Seychelles played in patches without a proper plan; they had several opportunities to score, but due to the poor coordination of their strikers, those chances were lost.

After the turnaround, both sides fought hard, with Bangladesh attempting to increase their lead as their rivals strove for the equalizer. After some anxious moments, Seychelles stormed into the game to boot the equalizer, as Rasid’s kick found the net, forcing the game to a draw.