Bizarre goalkeeping error sparks BFL fixing fears

A goalmouth incident from Friday's Bangladesh Football League match between Fortis FC and debutants Chattogram City FC has gone viral on social media, sparking speculation over possible betting or match manipulation.

The clip attracted attention not because of Fortis's Japanese forward Noriki Akada's fine finish, but because of the baffling reaction of Chattogram City goalkeeper Shanto Kumar Roy, who appeared to pull his hands away from the ball's trajectory as it headed towards goal.

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Comical goalkeeping errors and bizarre goals are not entirely uncommon in football. But with Bangladeshi football having been plagued by allegations of match manipulation, betting and spot-fixing in recent years, fans and netizens were quick to suspect foul play.

The match referee, however, had already blown his whistle for an earlier foul inside the penalty area, meaning the goal did not stand. That did little to prevent the incident from setting social media ablaze.

Chattogram City, making their top-flight debut, had put up a spirited fight in the first half to hold Fortis at bay. However, the newcomers collapsed after the break, conceding six goals to suffer a heavy defeat in their first BFL appearance.

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When contacted about the uproar surrounding the viral clip, Chattogram City FC's acting general secretary and team leader Nazim Uddin dismissed spot-fixing allegations and defended the young goalkeeper.

"I woke up the next morning and saw the clip trending on Facebook. People are tarnishing our reputation without knowing the reality," he told The Daily Star. "First, the referee had blown the whistle for a foul, nullifying the goal. Second, we went into this fixture with just a single day of pre-season preparation, leaving our squad completely exhausted in the second half. Due to a lack of preparation, we lacked depth on the bench and had no quality tactical substitutions available."

Asked directly about the spot-fixing allegations against his goalkeeper, Nazim said: "Targeting a junior player and destroying his morale without proof is unjust. We are not involved in any form of betting or match-fixing. The goalkeeper did not even want to play the match, but we had no alternative."

Nazim, a former footballer, also said the club were facing difficulties with accommodation, which had added to the team's problems ahead of their debut.

"We are in real trouble with our accommodation and are searching for a solution because we played the first match after staying in rooms at the Bashundhara Cricket Stadium, and it was really tough for us to play the match in such conditions," he said.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Football Federation is yet to disclose the findings of investigations into several allegations of match-fixing, betting and match manipulation conducted by its Fixed-Match Identification Committee in recent seasons following reports from the Asian Football Confederation.