Bangladesh suffered a dramatic and heartbreaking 4-3 loss against Hong Kong in their AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers fixture, conceding a hat-trick goal deep into stoppage time to shatter hopes of a crucial home draw.
The hosts took the lead with a stunning free-kick from Hamza Choudhury in the 13th minute, but a defensive calamity allowed Everton Camargo to equalise for Hong Kong just before halftime.
The match turned into a nightmare for the home side in the second half as substitute Raphael Merkies scored twice to give Hong Kong a commanding 3-1 lead. While Shekh Morsalin and a 99th-minute header from Shamit Shome appeared to salvage a miraculous draw, Merkies completed his hat-trick just two minutes later (101st min) to snatch all three points, dealing a devastating blow to Bangladesh's qualification campaign.
