The Bangladesh U-17 National Football Team delivered a breathtaking performance as they crushed Brunei 8–0 in the AFC U-17 Asian Cup Qualifiers held at the Yongchuan Sports Centre in China. This resounding victory marks Bangladesh’s second straight win in the qualifying campaign, following their dominant 5–0 triumph over Timor-Leste in the opening match.
From the very first whistle, Bangladesh controlled possession, tempo and attacking flow. Their aggressive pressing and swift passing overwhelmed Brunei, allowing Bangladesh to finish the first half with a commanding 4–0 lead. The young boys did not slow down after the interval, adding four more goals to complete an eight-goal rout.
The day’s action was headlined by two brilliant braces from Rifat Kazi and Apu Rahman, whose clinical finishing kept Brunei on the back foot throughout the match. Mohammad Manik, Alif Rahman, Najmul Huda and Bayezid Bostami each added a goal to complete Bangladesh’s scoring festival.
Bangladesh Goal Scorers
| Player | Goals |
|---|---|
| Rifat Kazi | 2 |
| Apu Rahman | 2 |
| Mohammad Manik | 1 |
| Alif Rahman | 1 |
| Najmul Huda | 1 |
| Bayezid Bostami | 1 |
Bangladesh’s next group-stage match is scheduled for Wednesday against Sri Lanka, after which they will face Bahrain and hosts China in their final two group fixtures. The group contains six teams, but remarkably, only Bangladesh and Brunei have played two matches so far, placing Bangladesh in a strong early position.
The qualification process will determine the remaining seven teams for the final tournament, which will feature 16 nations. Nine teams have already secured their spots, and Bangladesh are pushing to join them. Historically, Bangladesh have participated twice at the U-17 level and four times at the U-16 level but have never progressed beyond the group stage. Their most recent appearance in the main round was in 2006, where they unfortunately lost all three matches.
The 2020 Asian Cup was cancelled due to the pandemic despite the qualifiers taking place, and Bangladesh withdrew from the 2014 edition. Those setbacks now form part of the motivation for the current squad, who have shown hunger, discipline and remarkable attacking prowess with 13 goals in just two matches.
Coaches believe this team has the composure and talent to challenge for the top spot in the group, which would secure Bangladesh a place at the AFC U-17 Asian Cup next May in Saudi Arabia. With confidence growing, the boys in red and green are beginning to dream of rewriting history.
