Watching Hamza up close ‘main reason’ for Bangladesh fans in Bhutan game

Bangladesh's star midfielder Hamza Choudhury did not disappoint the horde of fans who showed up to witness the 27-year-old's home debut as he marked the occasion with his first goal for the men in red and green in a FIFA friendly against Bhutan at the National Stadium on Wednesday.

Hamza's strike, the opening goal of the match, came from a well-delivered corner by Bangladesh captain Jamal Bhuiyan, who whipped in a delectable cross from the right. Hamza timed his leap perfectly and connected with a powerful header in the sixth minute, sending the ball past the outstretched hands of the Bhutan goalkeeper.

"The main reason why I am here is Hamza. I watched him playing on TV. But today I will watch him live," Mohammad Mohsin, a fan from Munshiganj, told The Daily Star.

With approximately 16,000 fans inside the stadium, which can accommodate 22,000, thousands were left stranded at the gates, as tickets were reportedly sold out by Bangladesh Football Federation, which had issued the sale of tickets through Tickify.com. However, the sale of tickets at hiked prices in the black market was prevalent at the stadium gates.

"I bought a minimum-rate ticket for Tk 500. I saw four to five people selling tickets at higher prices. Although there are law enforcement agencies, no one is stopping them," another fan Waheed Murad said.

A similar crisis, centring around the scarcity of tickets, also took place when tickets for the Asian Cup Qualifiers against Singapore on June 10 went on sale. This prompted many, including Mohsin, to come to the game against Bhutan to catch a glimpse of Hamza.  

"I couldn't buy tickets online for the Singapore game [on June 10]. That's why I chose this match to watch," Mohsin, who came to the National Stadium for the first time, added.

Fans were also treated to the unveiling of midfielder Shamit Shome in national colours during the warmups. Shome, who had arrived a few hours earlier, was rested for the contest but came onto the pitch during warmups and waved at fans before watching the match from the stands.