The New Nation - Internet Edition

bdnews, Dhaka

The national football team suffered a sore 2-0 defeat to the B. League XI in the lone warm-up match on Sunday ahead of this month's Merdeka Cup in Malaysia.

Coach Shafiqul Islam Manik on Sunday picked a 20-member squad for the Merdeka Cup and played his possible eleven against a team that comprised players from B. League clubs, but his boys could hardly impress.

The B. League XI comparatively dominated over the national booters in the first half and took a deserved lead 10 minutes into the second half when Mohammedan's striker Abdul Baten Komol slotted an Abdullah Parvez lob home.

Capitalising on a cross from Johnson, substitute Liton, Brothers Union's medio, sealed the match one minute from time.

Manik played his side with a defensive formation of 5-3-2, but it could hardly put any impact on the match as it seemed the national team was suffering from an additional playmaker in the midfield.

Midfielders Motiur Rahman Munna, Arman Aziz and Pranotosh looked unimpressive to feed the ball to strike duo Jahid Hasan Emily and Mohammad Robin, who had virtually nothing to do.

"It was just a practice match where I wished to test the players' temperament and I had achieved my aim from the match," coach Manik told reporters after the match.

The national football team will leave here for Malaysia early Tuesday and play their first match against Mozambique on Tuesday.