Bangladesh seal next round of FIFA WC qualification

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DHAKA, June 11, 2019 (BSS)- Bangladesh have sealed their spot in the next round of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup 2023 Preliminary Joint Qualification tie (round 1) when they played out to a goalless draw with Laos in their home match held on Tuesday at Bangabandhu National Stadium.

After winning the first leg by a solitary goal margin, Bangladesh needed only a draw to go to the next round and the hosts were determined not to concede any goal despite foiling couple of scoring chances created by Laos at the dying moment of the match.

However the boys in red and green got series of scoring chances although the proceeding but failed to convert any of those into a goal.

This draw will put Bangladesh into 40-team qualification round, ensuring at least eight more international matches in group stages over the next one year.

On the other hand, the day’s result will throw Laos out of AFC/FIFA-sanctioned international matches for nearly two-and-half years.

Malaysia, Cambodia, Macau, Laos, Bhutan, Mongolia, Bangladesh, Guam, Brunei, Timor-Leste, Pakistan and Sri Lanka – who are ranked lowest in Asia in the FIFA World Rankings are competing in the first round of the 2022 World Cup Qualifiers with winners of each of the sixties making the next stage.

That will make 40 teams in the second round of the qualifiers who will be drawn into eight groups of five to play home-and-away matches spanning from September 5, 2019 to June 9, 2020. The eight group winners and the four best runners-up will advance to the third round.

The draw for the second round is scheduled to be held in Doha, Qatar on July 17.

Bangladesh team: Ashraful Islam Rana, Rahamat Mia, Yeasin Khan, Tutul Hossain Badsha, Jamal Buiyan, Mainul Islam, Nabib Newaz Jibon, Biswanath Ghosh, Mashuk Mia Jonny, Bipul Ahmed and Robiul Hasan.