U-17 Asian Cup Qualifiers: Bangladesh crushes Macau 7-0 to stay in race

Bangladesh kept its hopes alive in the Group B race of the AFC U-17 Asian Cup 2025 Qualifiers, crushing Macau 7-0 at Prince Stadium in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Friday.

This emphatic win marked Bangladesh‍‍`s second consecutive victory in their third group match. After a narrow 0-1 defeat against host nation Cambodia in their opening game, Bangladesh rebounded with a 1-0 win over the Philippines on Wednesday.

In Friday’s match, Bangladesh took a 1-0 lead in the first half and exploded with six more goals in the second half. Captain and midfielder Nazmul Huda Faysal led the charge, scoring four times in the 40th, 74th, 81st, and 84th minutes, securing a hat-trick plus one.

Mohammad Manik and Rifat Kazi also contributed to the scoreline, netting goals in the 65th and 71st minutes, respectively. Macau defender Tin Tang inadvertently extended Bangladesh’s lead with an own goal in the 73rd minute.

Bangladesh will face Afghanistan in their final Group B match on October 27 at 3:00 p.m. at the same venue.

Following Friday’s games, Afghanistan and Cambodia currently top Group B with six points each from two matches. Bangladesh, with six points from three matches, is also in the hunt, while the Philippines holds three points from three matches, and Macau remains at the bottom with no points after four games.

The path to the final round next year includes the top team from each group and the five best runners-up across all groups.