Booters’ 'challenging' Bhutan test today

Bangladesh football team were expecting tough competition from Bhutan in the two FIFA friendly fixtures, the first of which kicks off at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu at 6:00pm today. And that is not necessarily due to the strength of the opposition but also an apparent lack of match-practice and fitness of the Bangladesh players.

The Bangladesh players and head coach have been playing up this issue ever arriving on Friday in Thimphu, with the high altitude being used as a big hurdle towards displaying natural performance. The fact that Bangladesh players have been out of action since their last World Cup qualifying fixture on June 11 is being portrayed as the biggest issue for the team.

Coach Javier Cabrera was realistic in his assessment of the situation, saying that the three FIFA windows this year will be crucial for the team's prospects in the Asian Cup Qualifiers, which start in March next year.

"There are some challenges for us as we are not in the middle of the season like the Bhutan players and the altitude is taking a little bit of time for us to adjust. But we are positive about both games and in the end I think both teams it's going to be very important for especially what's coming up in March and SAFF next year. I think these will be very challenging games for us but we are looking forward to the games," the Spaniard said at the pre-match press conference yesterday.

Apart from the fitness and acclimatising issues, Bangladesh need also be aware of the attacking threat from the Bhutan team, and the pace with which their forwards operate. Since the match will be played on artificial turf, Bangladesh captain Jamal Bhuiyan had a word of caution for his teammates. While Bangladesh will not have to face Bhutan's most celebrated footballer, Chencho Gyeltshen, Jamal knows there is still enough quality in the opposition ranks. 

"I always find Bhutan and Chencho [Gyeltshen], especially on the counter, very difficult to manage. He also played in the Bangladesh league, so most of us know him well. But now they have a few other players who are also very fast and quick. So we'll have to keep an eye on these players," said the Bangladesh captain.

Considering records, Bangladesh should feel comfortable, having beaten Bhutan on 11 occasions out of 14 meetings, losing only once – the infamous 2016 defeat at Changlimithang. The most recent meeting between the two sides came in the SAFF Championship in June last year when Bangladesh came back from a goal down to win 3-1.

Jamal thinks while they might struggle with the altitude and fitness, but not with crowd pressure. When asked about the pressure from a probable full-house crowd, Jamal said: "Before the match and after the match, you think about fans but during the match, you only focus on the match."