Johny, Papon help Bangladesh to 2-1 win against Maldives

Young midfielder Papon Singh came off the bench to score a stoppage-time winner as Bangladesh fought back from a goal down to beat Maldives to a 2-1 in their FIFA international friendly at the Bashundhara Kings Arena on Saturday.

Papon, who came on late in the game as Bangladesh coach Javier Cabrera made a number of substitutions, stabbed home from centre of the box third minute into stoppage time after another substitute Shahriar Emon ran down the left flank and delivered a superb low cross.

PHOTO: BFF

Papon's goal capped off a remarkable comeback initiated by another midfielder Mojibur Rahman Johny, who scored the equaliser with a superlative effort in the 43rd minute.

Johny, who had impressed after coming on as a second-half substitute in Bangladesh's 1-0 defeat in Wednesday's match against the same opposition, repaid the coach's faith after being drafted into the starting eleven.

PHOTO: BFF

The former under-20 player received the ball in front of the box from Sheikh Morsalin in the 43rd minute, switched to right foot and unleashed a curling effort through a host of Maldives players and into the far corner of the net.

Only the second goal of his senior career and his first since June 2023, the effort helped Javier Cabrera's charges end the year with on a bit of a high, with their second win alongside six defeats. It was also a bit of a revenge of for Cabrera's men, who were under a lot of pressure following a 1-0 defeat in the first of the two matches against the same opposition three days ago.

PHOTO: BFF

The mood of the Bangladesh camp in the end was in stark contrast to what it was after they had conceded the opening goal in the 23rd minute, veteran defender Topu Barman's miscued pass slotted in clinically by Ali Fasir, the Maldives forward who had scored the only goal of the previous game.

PHOTO: BFF