Bangladesh 3-4 Hong Kong Highlights, AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers: Hamza's Goal In Vain As Merkies Breaks BAN Hearts

Good evening, football fans. Thank you for tuning in to the start of our live blog on the Bangladesh vs Hong Kong match tonight. It’s a massive game for the Bengal Tigers. Bottom of Group C with just one point, a win will be vital to keep their hopes of progression alive.

The action in Dhaka is scheduled to kick off at 7:30 PM IST, so stay tuned for pre-match updates and lineups as they are released.

Fans can watch the match between Bangladesh and Hong Kong live on the following platforms:

• Bangladesh: T Sports

• Hong Kong: RTHK TV 32

The match will not be live-streamed or televised on any platforms in India. However, you can follow the live scores on Outlook India for free.

Bangladesh: 🟢W ⚫D 🟢W 🔴L ⚫D

Hong Kong: 🔴L 🔴L 🔴L 🔴L 🟢W

Starting XI: Mitul Marma (gk); Saad Uddin, Tariq Kazi, Shakil Ahad Topu, Md Taj Uddin; Sohel Rana, Mohamed Sohel Rana, Hamza Choudhury; Mohammed Fahim, Shekh Morsalin, Rakib Hossain

Bench: Mehedi Hasan Srabon (gk), Hossain Sujon (gk), Topu Barman, Rahmat Mia, Abdullah Omar, Zayyan Ahmed, Jamal Bhuyan, Shahriar Emon, Fahamedul Islam, Mohammed Ridoy, Shamit Shome, Arman Foysal Akash

Starting XI: Hung-Fai Yapp (gk); Shinichi Chan, Leon Jones, Tze-Nam Yue; Oliver Gerbig, Chun-Lok Tan; Nicholas Benavides, Joy-Yin Jesse Yu, Juninho Junior, Everton Camargo; Matthew Orr

Bench: Ka-Wing Tse (gk), Oleksiy Shlyakotin (gk), Dudu, Vas Nunez, Siu-Kwan Philip Chan, Cheuk-Pan Ngan, Wai Wong, Manuel Bleda Rodriguez, Ka-Kiu Lau, Awal Mahama, Raphael Merkies, Stefan Pereira Figueiredo

In the earlier kick-off, India sealed a stunning 1-1 draw against Singapore. Ihsan Fandi scored in the first-half stoppage time as the hosts dominated the ball, but Rahim Ali netted his first-ever international goal in the 90th minute to rescue a point for India, lifting them to third place in the Group C.

The pre-match formalities are all dealt with, and the players take their formation on the pitch. The National Stadium in Dhaka is absolutely packed as the home supporters are out in numbers and making themselves heard in what is a crucial game for the Bengal Tigers. Referee Saud Al Samhan blows his whistle, and the home side get tonight's match underway.

Hong Kong have started the game well in the opening minutes, pushing Bangladesh in their own half. Rakib earns a very early yellow card, with the match already seeing a number of crunching tackles. Most of the attack is coming from the visitors in the opening five minutes, with Bangladesh relying on long balls.

An early chance for Hong Kong, as Orr weaved his way past the defenders into the box and had a left-footed effort towards the far corner that crept just inches wide of the post. Marma is under some serious pressure at the moment.

Much more positive from Bangladesh, who are slowly gaining their foothold in the match. The hosts push ahead in number, and Rakib has an effort from outside the box. It was most likely meant to be a cross towards the bodies in the centre of the penalty area, but it turned into a lobbed shot that had Yapp at full stretch to hold on to it.

My word, what a goal!!! Fahim wins a free-kick on the left edge of the box. Hamza steps up to take it, and the entire stadium is expecting a cross into the box as the angle is too tight. Instead, the Leicester City midfielder goes for power towards the near corner and beats the goalkeeper.

Sheer magic, although replays show that a slight deflection of a Hong Kong defender's head might have helped.

The game has settled down a little bit, although Bangladesh have been the stronger side since going ahead, pushing their backline higher to put the Hong Kong players under pressure. The visitors are relying on long balls at the moment to break the Bangladeshi defence.

Excellent build-up play from Bangladesh. Rakib, playing on his favoured right flank, floats in a terrific cross towards the box that almost found the head of Fahim, but the Hong Kong defence clears somehow. Westwood's side is under quite some pressure.

The first cooling break is over, and Cabrera looks intensely engaged in touchline talks with his players. Bangladesh are ahead in terms of the ball and the scoreline, but the manager will look for a second goal as quickly as possible to get some breathing space.

Bangladesh are clearly the better side in the first half, but Hong Kong are trying to play diagonal long balls more than once, though it is yet to work. Camargo decides to go at it alone, holding off the pressure from Kazi and then having a shot with his left foot. It was always creeping just wide, but Marma had to be at full stretch.

The fourth official holds up his board and indicates a minimum of four minutes to be added on at the end of the first half. Four minutes for Hong Kong to get something from the first 45 minutes where they have by far been the second-best side.

Absolute calamity at the back from Bangladesh. The hosts concede a corner during the dying stages of the match, and they fail to clear the resulting ball in the box. After a bit of ping-pong in the box, Fahim came rushing out to clear the danger but instead headed it towards Everton Camargo. Unmarked in the left post, the forward pokes it past Mitul to tie the scores with the last touch of the half.

And that was that, as the referee blows for half-time before the match can kick-off. Bangladesh will be mightily disappointed with the result so far, as they have dominated the match up until Fahim's misguided header gifted Hong Kong an equaliser in the final moments of the first half. A big, big 45 minutes remain.

The referee blows the whistle, and the second half is underway at the National Stadium in Dhaka. This is virtually a must-win clash for Bangladesh after India's comeback against Singapore. Let's see what Cabrera's half-time teamtalk has inspired from the hosts.

One change for Singapore as Raphael Merkies comes on, replacing Benavides.

Another calamity at the back for Bangladesh. Put under pressure by Hong Kong, Sohel Rana attempts to play it back to Hamza but the pass is short. Merkies, who came on a few minutes ago, intercepts and finishes past a hapless Marma to give Hong Kong the lead.

With a bit more than half-an-hour to go, Cabrera opts for a triple change. On comes Shamit Shome and Fahamedul Islam, replacing Sohel Rana and Fahim. Jamal Bhuyan is also on, taking the captains' armband. Can Bangladesh use these fresh legs to get an all-important equaliser?

With the injection of fresh legs, Bangladesh are pushing hard for an equaliser but are unable to create any kind of space, being forced to shoot from long distances that is giving no trouble to the goalkeeper. Hong Kong, meanwhile, win a corner.

The crowd has gone a bit quiet here. Lacking any creativity up front, Bangladesh have to rely on long throws from Saad, but nothing of note has come in the second half. As of now, it looks tough for the hosts to mount a comeback and keep their progression hopes alive. Cabrera looks tense down the touchline as well.

It's the substitute Raphael Merkies again, and within minutes, Bangladesh's defence collapses completely. Morsalin loses the ball near the midfield, and the ball is lobbed towards Camargo on the right flank. With ample of space and time, he takes it ahead and then cuts it back across the face of goal to find the run of Merkies, who beats the goalkeeper with a great finish.

After a stunning cross from substitute Zayyan Ahmed is somehow cleared by Hong Kong, defender Jones goes down in pain and receives lengthy treatment down on the pitch, attracting the ire of the Bangladeshi bench. After some time, he is ok to continue, and play is resumed.

Bangladesh are back in the game!! Bhuyan takes a free-kick from above the midfield line. Hong Kong fail to clear it, and Fahmidul has a swing with his leg that Yapp - who has had a horrible match so far - fails to hold on to. Shekh Morsalin steals the possession and rolls the ball into an empty net.

A bit of confusion. Topu Barman, who was all ready to come on a substitute, is apparently told to return to the touchlines. However, his substitution has been prepared by the fourth official, and has to come on. The fans in National Stadium have found their voice again.

Meanwhile, Yapp is down on the pitch and receives treatment, but his night looks to be over.

A minimum of NINE minutes of stoppage time is indicated by the fourth official. That's a long time for Bangladesh to find their way back into the game. A draw is better than nothing, of course, but what Cabrera will want is all three points in this crucial match.

Zayyan has been a livewire since coming on. He has been floating in one cross after another from the left flank, but till now, not one Bangladeshi player has been able to get at the end of it. Bangladesh have some tall players on the pitch, including substitute Topu Barman, and they need to be more present in the box. Hong Kong, for their part, are wasting every second they can afford.

Absolutely pandemonium in the stadium!!!! You can't write a better script than this. Bangladesh win a free-kick in the dying moments of the match. An inch-perfect ball is floated into the box, and Shamit Shome is absolutely unmarked in the box. No defender challenges him, and he heads it past Tse.

What else will this match give?! From kick-off, Hong Kong push forward unchallenged. A ball from Yu is not cleared properly by Bangladesh, and the ball falls to Merkies, who hits it first time to find the back of the net. A hat-trick from the youngster!

The referee blows the full-time whistle, and the Bangladesh players fall on the pitch in dispair. This is football at its very best and very worst too. Some of the players are in tears, including Hamza Choudhury. Credit to the supporters, who are in full voice despite the loss, which pretty much guarantees their exit from the qualifiers.