KARACHI, Dec 26: Bangladesh sneaked into Asian Cup soccer qualifiers after a 1-0 playoff victory over goal-shy Pakistan courtesy a last-gasp Firoj Mahmud Hossain strike at People’s Sports Complex on Monday.

The triumph in the playoff allowed the Bangladeshis to join Pot D for the Asian Cup draw which is to be held on Jan 4.

Pakistan, who drew 0-0 with Bangladesh in Dhaka in the first playoff, repeated their SAFF championship performance they gave earlier this month in Karachi, dominating the game but poor finising allowed the visitors to emerge victors.

Pressing for the elusive goal that never came, Pakistan got off to an attacking start as Imran Niazi’s 40-yard free kick in the 11th minute threatened Bangladesh goalkeeper Aminul Hoque who parried the shot over the bar.

Playing without their Argentine coach Diego Andres Cruciani who has been temporarily suspended by AFC for alleged misconduct after the Dhaka game on Dec 22, Bangladesh again came under pressure three minutes later when Mohammad Naveed Akram pass was misheaded by Imran Niazi from 16 yards.

Pakistan were rattling the visitors with continuous onslaughts, this time Naveed set up Farooq Shah who failed to connect through a header in the 16th minute.

The Pakistani bench was jubilant but the joy short-lived when Zahid Hameed sent a 40-yard free kick that went into the cage off Hoque’s gloves, prompting the referee Aram Bakade to disallow the goal, signalling for a foul.

Banking on free kick expert Mohammad Essa, Pakistan almost came near scoring in the 37th minute when the striker shot from 40 yards only to see his effort missing the target narrowly.

As the Bangladeshis hardly made a serious threat against Pakistan in the first half, the home side finished the first session with an injury-time move involving Farooq Shah and Imran Hussain wasting the pass within the box despite being in an ideal position to open the scoring.

With their Fulham defender Zesh Rehman back to English Premier League duty, Pakistanis came back after breather to maintain their pace and attack. It was a golden opportunity for the home team who would have scored had Farooq not squandered a slick move initiated by Imran Hussain and Essa in the 60th minute.

It was in the 65th minute that Bangladesh came out of the groove to show their real prowess. Jahid Hasan Ameli fed Alfaz Ahmed who missed the chance but Pakistan had a narrow escape as a Mahmood Khan slip-up would have given the visitors a gift of own goal.

With an idea to add some more firepower to now somewhat sluggish strike force, Pakistan coach Salman Ahmed Sharida made two quick substitutions in the 68th minute. Shahid Saleem, who has been specially inducted after the SAFF championship for the playoffs, came off the bench and showed spark but not before some challenge by Bangladesh.

Mehdi Hassan Uzzal looked dangerous when they he tested Pakistani goalkeeper Jaffar Khan who was alert under the bar in the 75th minute. Farooq squared an accurate pass for Shahid whose rising shot sailed over the bar.

Bangladesh shocked their aggressive rivals when they poached the match-winner through an angular shot by Hossain that curled and crashed into the far corner of the net, beating Jaffar in the 90th minute.

Still looking for the goal, Pakistan made a last-ditch effort in the injury-time but Farooq’s carpet shot was well saved by Hoque.

Pakistan:

Jaffar Khan, Tanveer Ahmad, Imran Hussain, Abdul Aziz, Farooq Shah, Zahid Hameed, Mohammad Naveed Akram, Mohammad Essa, Mahmood Khan, Imran Niazi, Mohammad Imran, Adeel Ahmad, Arif Mahmood, Safiullah, Samar Ishaq, Arif Masih, Farhan, Mohammad Imran, Shahid Saleem.

Bangladesh:

Aminul Hoque, Rajani Kanta Barman, Mohammad Sujan, Hasan Al-Manun, Firoj Mahmud Hossain, Arif Khan, Motiur Rahman Munna, Abul Hossain, Jahid Hasan Ameli, Alfaz Ahmed, Alfaz Ahmed, Mehdi Hassan Uzzal, Biplob Bhattacharjee, Kazi Nazrul Islam, Mostofa Anowar Parvez, Mohammad Arman, Arman Aziz, Rokonuzzaman Kanchan, Ariful Kabir Farhad.