The memory of the only Argentine national team that faced Bangladesh before fanaticism: who played and how the match ended

In a recent interview with Bangladesh’s most popular newspaper, the president of the Football Federation of that Asian country, Kazi Salauddinhe recalled the only time his team played a game against Argentina. “The Merdeka Cup was in Malaysia, in 1986. There, the Argentina football team faced the Bangladesh football team. Some players from the Argentina national team participated in that match. Bangladesh lost the match 5-2. Ashraf Uddin Ahmed Chunnu and Sheikh Mohammad Aslam scored twice for Bangladesh.”said the head of the Asian entity.

The fanaticism of Bengali fans was born in 1986 after Argentina’s victory over England 2-1 in the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Mexico, has grown over the years and exploded with the recent consecration in Qatar. The images of what happened in every meeting of Scaleneta in the Arab lands filled hours of television channels and flooded social networks.

Even a fan sent a letter to clarion to explain why they supported Argentina: “Our passion is with you.”

Now, there have already been talks to improve bilateral relations between the two countries and, in this context, Salauddin recalled the match between Argentina and Bangladesh. Apart from some inaccuracies, the party existed it was 1983 and the Argentine team was a First B team who played as Buenos Aires XI, and later became champions.

The Merdeka tournament, in Malaysia, has been held since 1957. In 1983, after Boca’s visit with Diego Armando Maradona the previous year, there were efforts to bring an Argentine team under the responsibility of the businessman Elias Zakov. The idea was to have the national team, which he was already leading Charles Billard. But it wasn’t possible because the group stage of the Copa América was taking place on those dates. Finally, it was a First B team. Also, in January 1984, the national team was going to play the Nehru Cup in India.

Primera B then it was the main category of the Ascent and, as can be seen in the list, there were clubs with a long history in the First Division. In April, the divisional classification of the category decided to form a select team. It all started on May 5 with training at the facilities of the Police Circle, Lugones section. Magazine Sports on the rise has dedicated a double page to it. Martha Payeromagazine reporter, declared when the team won the Merdeka tournament that only she and Eduardo ‘Ruso’ Ramenzoni, then on Radio Miter and La Razón, were present that day.

“This work has the approval of Carlos Bilardo and Julio Grondona, but it is outside the Department of Nationals because this representative has a different purpose”highlight the note and add a disclaimer Salvatore D’Antonio, then president of Deportivo Italiano: “The Prima A coaches don’t have the opportunity to observe the B players and if they do, it’s sporadic. That’s why the very good players that our category has have no chance to excel. This Selection will give the players who don’t attend matches on Saturday the opportunity to appreciate the ability of these guys”.

Players had to be born before 1955 and there could be no more than two representatives for each club.. 16 players were called up but started only with 9. “This is relative because Billardo generally works even with few players,” he said. kid rodriguez after the first workout. And he remarked: “I told them that what interests me is serious work; they come to wear the national team shirt and I think it’s an honor that the division gives them and to which they have to answer”. For training, the players used the French brand that wore the national team at the time and also did so at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.

On August 30, 1983, the Executive Committee of the AFA authorized participation. In Bulletin no. 1131 reads: “The authorization requested by the First Category “B” clubs has been granted for a combined team of the category to participate in the International “Freedom” Tournament (Merdeka) which, organized by the Federation of Malaysia, will take place in the city of Kuala Lumpur between September 14 and October 2, 1983, after this tournament, the first combined “B” will play three or four additional games within 15 days.

The designated technician was Carlos “Chamaco” Rodríguez and Albino Valentini, his assistant. In addition, the president of the delegation was Antonio Carbone, president of Atlanta, the supervisor was Alfredo Varela and the administrator was Roberto Suárez. Doctor Horacio Escudero and stage man Daniel Fernández. they have been chosen 18 players, 2 from El Porvenir and the rest from 16 other clubs. A well representative team of the category.

The squad consisted of these 18 players: Daniel Baglioni (Banfield), Mario Ovando (Central Córdoba), Luis De Luise (Arsenal), Leandro Pérez (Deportivo Español), Ramón Albariño (Deportivo Italiano), Néstor Oca (Deportivo Armenian), Jorge Mora (All Boys), Miguel Colombatti (Deportivo Morón), José Tártalo (Quilmes), José Del Bono (Admiral Brown), Walter Fernández (Defenders of Belgrano), Walter López and Carlos López (El Porvenir), Juan Carlos Prycodko (Banfield), Carlos Carrió (Gymnastics and Fencing La Plata), Marcelo Vázquez (students from Buenos Aires), Jorge Piaggio (Atlanta) and Jorge Río (Tigre).

When the invitation from Malaysia arrived, the B team had been training for at least four months. And in the first days of September they left to live the atypical experience. The debut was on Friday the 16th against Bangladesh. The next day, clarion reported the 5-2 victory, publishing a cablegram of the Reuters agency. “The Argentines quickly adapted to the slippery ground the field presented due to the torrential rains and it didn’t take long for them to take advantage of it.” There have been three goals since Walter Fernández and one by Colombatti and Fernández.

In the group stage, the team won the other three matches: 1-0 against the Algerian team (Colombatti), 2-1 against the Malaysian team (Walter Fernández 2); and 3-0 against the Nepalese national team (Walter Fernández, Carrió and Colombatti). In the final they played several substitutes and it was a 3-1 defeat against the South Korean team (Mora). In the semifinals, team B defeated Brazil 3-1, represented by the state of Santa Catarina, with goals from Colombatti, Tártalo and Walter Fernández. In the final, on 2 October, they beat the Algerian team 2-1, with goals from Tártalo and Del Bono.

On October 3, the story covered half a page of clarion, with the photo of the team making the Olympic lap. The prize, in addition to the Cup, was 40 thousand dollars. Then they played three friendlies: 0-0 with Gunong Tahan from Malaysia on the island of Hipos; 2-1 to Malaysian State Chosen Sarawak; and 1-0 to the Oman national team.

Walter Fernández, top scorer of the tournament with 7 goals in 7 games together with the Brazilian Mariano, was counting on his return: “We left Malaysia for Borneo where we played three games and then to tour Arab countries laden with petrodollars but forbidden to women. Football there too is starting to be competitive, they try to improve day by day and so much so that in those parts there are Brazilian coaches who work to promote football, which, like in Malaysia, is growing very quickly”.. four decades later, the World Cup was played in Qatar and the champion was Argentina.

The following year, the B team returned to play the Merdeka ma tournament had a different ending. Journalist Juan Carlos Laterza denounced what managers and players have received $500 each from a Chinese gambling capitalist beat Pakistan with a meager 2-1. After the investigation, the AFA sanctioned 23 of the 24 members of the delegation. Enrico Merelasthe historic and controversial president of Futurehe was the only one who escaped unscathed. But that’s another story…