By Hishan Welmilla
Oliver Kelaart and Waseem Razeek score as Sri Lanka surrender two-goal advantage to share points in Dhaka
Sri Lanka were held to a frustrating 2-2 draw by Bhutan after surrendering a first-half lead in their Group A encounter at the 2026 SAFF Championship played at the National Stadium in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Sunday.
The result was a missed opportunity for Abdullah Al-Mutairi’s side, who had taken control of the match with two goals in the first half but failed to protect their advantage after the interval.
Bhutan opened the scoring in the 34th minute through Dawa Tshering, but Sri Lanka responded immediately when Oliver Kelaart found the equaliser a minute later with an effort from outside the penalty area that took a deflection before beating the goalkeeper.
Sri Lanka continued to press and were rewarded in the 43rd minute when Waseem Razeek headed home a cross from Kelaart to put the islanders 2-1 ahead at half-time.
Bhutan had an opportunity to draw level in the 67th minute after being awarded a penalty. However, Sri Lankan goalkeeper and captain Sujan Perera produced an important save to deny Bhutan captain Chencho Gyeltshen from the spot.
The reprieve proved temporary as Chencho made amends in the 76th minute, finding the net after Sri Lanka failed to deal with a free-kick, bringing Bhutan back into the contest at 2-2.
Both teams pushed for a winner during the closing stages, with opportunities at either end, but neither could find the decisive goal.
Sri Lanka head coach Abdullah Al-Mutairi was particularly unhappy with the officiating, questioning several refereeing decisions, including a late incident involving Dillon de Silva inside the Bhutan penalty area, where Sri Lanka appealed unsuccessfully for a spot kick.
He also called on the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) to introduce VAR from the group stage, raising concerns about the standard and consistency of refereeing.
The draw confirmed hosts Bangladesh’s qualification for the semi-finals, while Sri Lanka and Bhutan remain in contention for the remaining Group A place.
Sri Lanka will now face Bangladesh in their decisive group encounter on November 11. A draw will be sufficient for Sri Lanka to secure a place in the semi-finals, while Bangladesh will need a victory by at least a two-goal margin to eliminate the islanders.
For Al-Mutairi and his team, the challenge will be to put the disappointment behind them and produce a disciplined performance against the hosts to keep their hopes of reaching the last four alive.
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