The football match between Bangladesh and the Maldives in the ‘Diamond Jubilee Football Tournament’, organised to mark the 75th anniversary of Maldivian football, ended in significant on-field disorder in the closing stages. The game, played at the National Stadium in Malé, concluded with a 1–1 draw after a series of incidents involving disputed refereeing decisions, player confrontations and disciplinary actions.
The situation escalated during added time when a challenge involving Bangladesh’s Piyas Ahmed and Maldives player Hassan Inaz resulted in the latter going to the ground. Referee Sekaran Senthilnathan immediately awarded a free-kick in favour of the Maldives, a decision that triggered strong protests from Bangladeshi players.
Following the incident, Mirazul Islam received a red card for dissent after leaving the team bench to protest. Shortly afterwards, forward Al-Amin was also shown a red card for strongly disputing the referee’s decision. It is reported that after receiving the red card, Al-Amin pushed the referee.
Disciplinary actions in the match
| Player | Team | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Mirazul Islam | Bangladesh | Red card |
| Al-Amin | Bangladesh | Red card |
After a brief interruption, play resumed, but the match remained highly charged. Further tension arose in the Bangladesh half when Ibrahim Nasir of the Maldives and Monjurur Rahman of Bangladesh were involved in an exchange of words during a contested phase of play. The situation quickly escalated as players from both sides converged, resulting in physical altercations involving multiple players.
The confrontation led to widespread disorder on the pitch, with reports of scuffles and clashes between players from both teams. The tension also spread to sections of the crowd inside the stadium.
Order was eventually restored through the intervention of team officials and coaching staff from both sides. The match was then completed, finishing 1–1.
Bangladesh goalkeeper Asif Bhuiyan attributed the incident to refereeing decisions, stating that a number of controversial calls affected the players’ composure. He also raised concerns regarding match management, including security arrangements and conduct involving officials and spectators, describing them as not in line with international standards.
Earlier in the match, the Maldives took the lead in the 13th minute through a penalty kick. Bangladesh had also appealed for a penalty in the 25th minute of the first half, but the appeal was not accepted by the referee. In the second half, Bangladesh were awarded a penalty following a handball by a Maldivian defender, which Mirazul Islam converted to level the score.
Both teams subsequently created further opportunities in search of a winning goal, but neither side was able to score again.
In the day’s other fixture, Pakistan defeated Afghanistan 2–0 to secure a place in the tournament final. The result meant that Afghanistan advanced to the final with four points after Bangladesh’s draw, while Bangladesh finished on four points and missed out on qualification.
All other participating teams in the tournament fielded senior national squads, whereas Bangladesh competed with an Under-23 Olympic team. Bangladesh played three matches in the competition, drawing all three.