Asian Games Rival Watch: India's second opponents Bangladesh

It will be an uphill battle for the Bangladesh football team at the Asian Games.

The football tournament at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China is set to begin from 19 September 2023 onwards. While the games officially are to start on 23 September, the football tournament will begin earlier due to its length.

Bangladesh is one of the teams participating in the football tournament at the Asian Games. They are grouped with hosts China, India and Myanmar in Group A. The Bengal Tigers will come up against the Blue Tigers on 21 September 2023 at the Xiaoshan Sports Centre Stadium, Hangzhou.

Javier Cabrera’s men will hope to navigate past the group stages by causing upsets. However, being the lowest-ranked team in Group A will add more pressure on the side. As the fixture between India and Bangladesh gets closer, here is a look at what the latter brings to the table:

About the team

Bangladesh's men’s football team is ranked 189 in the FIFA Rankings. The side was once ranked 110 in the world, which remains the highest ranking ever recorded. 

Their affiliation with AFC and FIFA began all the way back in the 1970s. Their first official game was a 2-2 draw with Thailand. While moments to rejoice have been far and few for the Bangladesh men’s team, they still remember winning the 2003 SAFF Championship quite fondly. Drawing against India in the second round of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers was a decent achievement for the Bengal Tigers as well. 

Recent Performances

Bangladesh's men’s football team played two friendlies recently against Afghanistan. They drew both fixtures by 1-1 and 0-0 scorelines, respectively. Prior to that, Bangladesh reached the semi-final of the 2023 SAFF Championship after a valiant display. On 6, 9 and 12 September, the U-23 side was up against Malaysia, Thailand and Phillipines, but they lost all the encounters in the AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers.

The Coach

Javier Cabrera is a UEFA Pro Licence holder. The 38-year-old is the head coach of the Bangladesh football team and has a reputation for being a good analyst of the game too! He was appointed as the head coach of the Bengal Tigers on 8 January 2022. It is likely he will lead the team at the Asian Games which is an U-23 affair with a maximum of three senior players allowed over the age limit.

The Spaniard tactician has had a mixed run of results as the head coach of the national team. In 15 games, Bangladesh have won five, drawn four and lost eight matches under Cabrera’s leadership. His contract runs out later in December 2023 and it will be interesting to see if the BFF extends it for the second time.

Players to Watch 

Sumon Reza

Sumon Reza is one of the senior players who will accompany the U-23 team at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. The striker has 26 appearances for the national team and has also featured for them in the 2023 SAFF Championship. He will hope to lead the rest of the squad by example and score goals in the process.

Murad Hasan

Murad Hasan is the other senior player in the squad. The defender will be one of the key figures for the Bengal Tigers heading into the tournament. The 25-year-old is still finding his feet in the senior team and the upcoming Asian Games will be a huge prospect for him to showcase his talent.

Foysal Ahmed Fahim

Foysal Ahmed Fahim is an exciting attacker with a lot of potential. The 21-year-old has already accumulated 13 appearances for the national team. He is backed as one of the players to watch out for and one that will become a major star in forthcoming years. His eye for goal and ability to create scoring chances for his teammates make him a dangerous player.

What to expect 

Bangladesh are definitely the underdogs in Group A. China and India are favourites to make it into the knockout stages. Having said that, the Bengal Tigers will aim to win the contest against Myanmar and hope to qualify as one of the best third-placed teams. 

One can expect Bangladesh to set up in a compact shape against India and China with an eye to score on the counter. It will be a difficult campaign but one that has lots of opportunities to make an impact on the young players of the Bangladesh football team.