Cabrera’s charges ready for Palestine challenge in Kuwait

Bangladesh football team landed in Kuwait on Sunday for their World Cup Qualifying round match against Palestine on March 21 after a two-week training camp in Saudi Arabia which included a couple of warm-up matches against higher ranked Sudan.

Bangladesh head coach Javier Cabrera picked Saudi Arabia as the place for the training camp after Palestine chose to play their home match in Kuwait, a cross-border state with Saudi Arabia with similar conditions.

After training for two weeks, the Spanish coach feels his squad is ready to face Palestine, who are 86 places ahead of the 183rd Bangladesh in the FIFA rankings.

"It was a great experience and glad to have the opportunity to come here. It's been the perfect time and facility to develop the ideas we have prepared before coming here," said Cabrera before flying out for Kuwait yesterday.

"The ideas should become the base of the structure for the performance of this year. Everything has been great – hotel, hospitality in the hotel, the food, facilities especially the gym was also quite good for us," he added.

Cabrera was especially pleased with the opportunity to play two warm-up matches against 127th-ranked Sudan.

"Having the chance to play with Sudan was huge for us," believed Cabrera, whose side played out a goalless draw in the first practice match before suffering a 3-0 defeat to the African nation in the second game.

The Bangladesh team flew to Kuwait with the entire squad fit and raring to go. Right-back Saad Uddin, who had some niggles, was also ready for the match, said Cabrera.

"It's very positive to have the whole squad ready. Saad came with small issues but he has gone through a very detailed and careful rehab programs. He is feeling confident."

The match against Palestine will be played at the Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium this Thursday. Both teams will then fly to Dhaka for the return leg on March 26.

Palestine, on the other hand, come into the match after tremendous performances in the AFC Asian Cup where the drew against the UAE defeated Hong Kong 3-0.

But they will be without five players who were part of their last Asian Cup encounter against Hong Kong owing to injuries.

Palestine had announced their squad for the Bangladesh matches on March 15, where a few new faces like goalkeeper Mahdi Assi got called up while experienced Anas Bani Owda, Ameed Sawafta and Mahmoud Eid returned to the fold.