Booters look for another win in Bhutan

Fresh from a 1-0 win over Bhutan in the first match, Bangladesh will look to wrap up their two-match FIFA friendly series against the Himalayan nation with another victory when the two sides meet at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu today, with the match scheduled to kick off at 6:00pm.

The charges of Javier Cabrera set their sights on improving FIFA ranking through two wins against Bhutan, who are currently ranked 182nd while Bangladesh sit two places behind them.

The task was not easy for the men in red and green against the Dragon Boys in the first match, especially owing to a very short training camp following a three-month break from football and because of playing on a pitch which is 7000 metres above sea level.

Except for the fortunate strike from Sheikh Morsalin in the sixth minute of the game, Bangladesh could not put up an impressive display, something they did during the World Cup Qualifiers against higher-ranked sides three months ago. There was not much build-up play, or pressing the opposition players and a lack of quick attacks on the break – all of which pointed to the fact that the players were still some way off from proper fitness.

Yet everyone will be expecting to enjoy the second match against the Himalayan nation and will be eager to show their technical ability by controlling the game and attack the opposition sharply.

"We have already played a match against them and know them mostly. The formation that Bhutan employed in the first match was unlike anything they did in the past. They usually used to play in 4-1-4-1 2 or 4-2-3-1 formation but this time they played with a five-man defence. We had to make some adjustments in the meeting and training such as how to press them, how to block them and how to attack them. We also worked on how to exploit their weak points in the counter-attacks and that's all that we worked today," assistant coach Hasan Al Mamun said after a training session in Thumphu yesterday.

"We have already completed 50 percent task but there is still 50 percent left. Tomorrow is the final for us because our target is to secure three more points in the second match and make the people happy," said captain Jamal Bhuiyan, who came off the bench in the second half of the first match.

With winger Rakib Hossain not available for selection due to an ankle injury he suffered in the first match, the coach is likely to bring a few changes in the starting eleven.