Home ›› 13 Oct 2021 ›› Sport
Bangladesh is set to go all-out against Nepal in their must-win last match of the group stage of the SAFF Championship on Wednesday.
Currently fourth on the points table, Bangladesh must win their clash with Nepal to reach the finals. A win would take the red and greens to seven points, which will secure Bangladesh’s first SAFF Championship final in 16 years.
Ahead of the match, Bangladesh head coach Oscar Bruzon said in a press conference on Tuesday that he would play four strikers if that is what is required to win.
“We are not focusing on the result. We are thinking about the process. About what we need to do against Nepal and we know that we can do it. If I can play four strikers, I will play four strikers,” he said on Tuesday.
The Spaniard said they have been working to reach the final, and the players have done an excellent job so far.
“We want to play the final. We have been working on that for the last 20 days. The boys have done an excellent job so far. And tomorrow, we will have a fantastic opportunity to show on the pitch that Bangladesh football has grown and will continue to grow to reach fantastic destinations in the future,” Bruzon said.
Ahead of the tournament, Bangladesh skipper Jamal Bhuyan had said that their goal was to be champions, but newly-appointed Bruzon said that he could not guarantee such a result.
On Tuesday, Bruzon said that before the tournament, he would have wished for the situation they are in right now.
“The results have brought us to a fantastic position. If you had told me before the tournament, I would have wished that we were in this position. We have two semifinals tomorrow (today). The only difference is there is no extra time or penalties,” he said.
“We can do it, definitely yes. My confidence is at a much higher level. Hopefully, tomorrow is going to be a beautiful day for us. We are ready. We are capable. Nepal is a strong team. They have shown that in this tournament. But I don’t think they have better players than us,” Bruzon said about the possibility of reaching the final.
He also analyzed how Nepal play their game and how his team will be approaching the game. He said, “Nepal play a very effective footballing style, so we need to be wary of that. We need to attack from the first minute because there is no alternate result for us than winning the game if we want to play in the final.”
“We have to adjust because Nepal has certain characteristics that we need to be aware of. They are not a team who will fight us for possession of the ball. They will not try to play in our half. They are really sharp and have excellent runners. All of us understand what is the best way to try to beat Nepal. But we are not going to disclose it, we are going to keep our weapons to us (laughs). But we are really confident that tomorrow (today) can go our way,” the Spanish coach said.
Skipper Jamal said in the press conference that he is confident of the players giving in more than a hundred per cent on Wednesday.
“We can make history tomorrow, and most of the players know that. I am confident in the players that they will give more than 100%, and we will see a fresh Bangladesh tomorrow,” he said.
