‘Our level should be better than SAFF display’

There is no shame against losing to a superior team when the performance remains incredible enough to win the hearts of fans and neutrals alike. Bangladesh on Saturday reinforced that notion against Kuwait in the 2023 SAFF Championship semi-finals as Bishwanath Ghosh and his teammates operated like warriors on the pitch. In an interview with Anisur Rahman of The Daily Star, the 24-year-old revisited his journey in the latest regional tournament, as a professional footballer and more. The excerpts are as follows:

The Daily Star (DS): Your intention behind announcing Tk 5 lakh cash reward?

Bishwanath Ghosh (BG): Actually, I had first announced about giving Tk 5 lakh if we could reach the final but I changed my mind to fix it for the Kuwait match instead. Although this amount of money is not much for the national players, I felt that other players could feel the hunger for victory.

DS: What factors led to such consistent performance?

BG: I don't think there has ever been such deep bonding, commitment and emotion among the players in the last 10 years. Without seeing, you may not believe how players like Jamal [Bhuiyan], Tapu [Barman], [Anisur Rahman] Zico, me, [Faisal Ahmed] Fahim and others, ball-boy Mohsin, assistant coach Hasan Al Mamum were in tears during every team meeting.

We dreamt big and now the same people who once directed abusive words towards us, when we could not meet their expectations, are praising our performance.

DS: How do you evaluate overall performance?

BG: At the end of the day, it's (control over fate) not in our hands. You may say that self-belief, consistency, or fighting attitude are takeaways from the tournament. But as far as I'm concerned, it is nothing but regret.

DS: So near yet so far. Your feelings after the match?

BG: To beat us, we pushed Kuwait to the limit. To be honest, each player toiled hard throughout. I don't know whether Bangladesh played this way in the last four to five years.

DS: How did you develop your game as a workhorse?

BG: When Raihan Hasan (national player) bhai brought me into football in Tangail, my childhood coach Jamil sir gave the emphasis on running rather than playing with the ball. During the Danone Nations Cup in 2011, Jamil sir trained the Tangail team for 90 minutes every day for the 15-minute game. He also trained us for 120 minutes every day for the 10-minute game Bangladesh played in South Africa before becoming champions.

From that time on, we achieved endurance at the age of 14 and now I'm used to working really hard. Of course, I get tired at times but the thought of failing to run for the whole 90 minutes fuels me.

DS: You've a tendency to lose temper. Reasons?

BG: I will say it's my bad habit. But I have been learning from my mistakes. To be honest, I can't accept any wrong decisions from the referees, fouls on my teammates without any reasons because we play for the national and the club team.

DS: What motivated you since your U-12 days?

BG: I got inspired to play football from Raihan bhai and always tried to grab any available opportunity, whether it was in training or while playing for any side. I'm still serious about giving my all at every opportunity.

I don't think there is another national player like me who featured on every national age-group team. Moreover, it is a totally different feeling to represent Bangladesh because it is a matter of pride as everyone can't get this opportunity. We have heard so much about the 1971 Liberation War and we really felt that [spirit] while playing for the national team.

DS: Your thoughts on Javier Cabrera saying that Bangladesh should maintain the latest standard.

BG: I think Bangladesh are not supposed to sit at the bottom of FIFA rankings. I think our level should be better than what we displayed in the [2023] SAFF Championship. Of course, we have to be careful and sincere to improve our level at international level. If India can do it, then why shouldn't we!

DS: We came to know of your wife's role behind your success.

BG: Initially she did not get much about football, but now she understands a lot. She helped me immensely during the pandemic to maintain my fitness and more. I think she is more aware of my diet, gym and training [regiment] than me. Sometimes when I feel too lazy to go to the gym or do physical activity, she forces me to complete the routine. Also, I think, being in communication with the wife of Indian player Pritam Kotal helps her learn about how to assist me.