Bangladesh鈥檚 first-ever futsal campaign ended up on a dismal note following their 8-2 thrashing by the United Arab Emirates in the AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2026 qualifiers Group G match at the Stadium Tertutup Sukpa in Kuantan, Malaysia, on Wednesday.
Bangladesh earlier made their exit from the qualification race from the four-team group after losing to hosts Malaysia 7-1 and suffering a crushing 12-0 defeat to holders and 13-time champions Iran in their first game.
With their winless campaign, Bangladesh finished at the bottom of the group, while UAE, who earlier suffered 1-0 and 10-0 defeats to Malaysia and Iran, respectively, finished third.
In the day鈥檚 play, Abdulla Alfalasi (11th, 26th) and Mohammed Alrayssi (31st, 31st) scored a brace, while Abdulla Almheiri (24th), Hamad Alzaabi (34th), Ahmed Beshr (37th) and Khalid Alhammadi (39th) scored the other goals for UAE.
For Bangladesh, Intishar Chowdhury scored twice in the 12th and 23rd minutes.
A total of 31 teams divided into seven groups are competing in the qualifiers, and each group winner and the seven best runners-up will qualify for the 18th Futsal Asian Cup to be held in Indonesia in January 2026.
