Home ›› 01 Jun 2022 ›› Sport
Bangladesh national football team will take on a strong Indonesia side in a FIFA friendly match today at the Si Jalak Harupat Stadium in Bandung in Indonesia.
Skipper Jamal Bhuyan deemed their opponents as favourites going into the contest but said that the players are looking forward to the match.
Jamal believes that his team can compete with 159th ranked Indonesia and produce a positive result.
“Of course tomorrow they will be the favourites to win, but we believe in ourselves. I think we can compete with them and give a good performance,” he said. “We’ve been preparing for this match for more than 12 days. Indonesia is a strong team. It’s going to be a tough match. All the players are looking forward to the match.”
Ranked 188th in FIFA World Rankings, Bangladesh’s record against Indonesia is not the most promising, with one win, one draw, and four losses in six meetings spanning over 47 years. The last time the two teams met was in 2008 when Bangladesh lost 2-0.
Jamal believes it will be a good experience for him and his players but accepted it won’t be an easy encounter.
“We haven’t played against Indonesia for 14 years. I think It’s going to be a good experience for the players. It’s going to be tough, it’s going to be challenging for us,” he said.
“It’s a good preparation match for us for the upcoming games. But again, we have to work hard to achieve something, and that is our main target, to work hard and get a good result,” he added.
Bangladesh will travel to Malaysia to play in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers after their encounter against Indonesia. Javier Cabrera’s men will take on Bahrain on June 8, Turkmenistan on June 11, and will face hosts Malaysia on June 14.
Cabrera stressed that a big challenge awaited his team but at the same time, believes the match will be an opportunity for the players to make their mark before leaving for Malaysia.
“We have been training and working on our plans for this game. It’s a big challenge for us, a challenge that is going to make us ready for Malaysia,” he said. “It’s an opportunity for every player to showcase their ability and prove themselves for a chance to play in Malaysia.”
Bangladesh have suffered casualties in the form of injuries of vital players in important roles.
Hemanta Vincent, Tariq Kazi, Saad Uddin, Suman Reza, Motin Mia, and Mashuk Miya Zony were out with injury, while midfielder Sohel Rana sustained a niggle in training on Monday.
“We have to adjust. That’s why we have a squad of 22 players right now, 23 when we arrive in Malaysia. All the players are ready to take part in the game,” Cabrera said on injuries.
Cabrera believes his side’s strength lies in the familiarity of the players. Bangladesh’s squad in recent years have featured more or less the same names in specific positions.
“There are several young players who can impact the game. We have a group of players who’ve been working together for some time under one coach, so I think that is our main strength,” he said.
With a depleted attack, Bangladesh will look to solidify their defensive half against Indonesia and focus on quick counters to hurt the opposition as they are expected to see less of the ball and face a barrage of attacks against teams above them in the World Rankings.
Assistant coach Hasan Mamun discussed training methods and revealed how the coach wants his team to set up.
“Our main focus in training today was to organise in a low-block. Low block doesn’t mean that we will always stay behind. The coach wants us to make quick transitions from a low-block and make rapid counters,” he said.
“We have discussed individual roles and worked on our shape when the ball goes wide. Besides this, we have worked on corners and set-piece.
“We know Indonesia is a strong team, but we will use our strengths strategies accordingly. It’s a very important match for us,” he added.