The way fitness coach Ivan Razlog and physio Kandasmy Senthil Kumar Yoseshwar kept an eye on journalists, especially cameramen and photographers to ensure no footage of the training session was being captured, it seemed as if Bangladesh were set to play a crucial international match at the Sylhet District Stadium today.

Following repeated signals from the sidelines, camerapersons lay down their equipment while Spanish coach Javier Cabrera worked on the game plan. The grand occasion that the team was working towards was the first of two friendlies between two of the lower-ranked teams in the FIFA Rankings: Bangladesh, who are 192nd, and Seychelles in 199th place.

The first FIFA-sanctioned friendly will get underway today at 3:45pm and be broadcast on T-Sports.

The hosts, who have been struggling for a long time, however see the two matches against Seychelles, a squad full of amateur footballers aside from two plying their trade in England, as a chance to raise their ranking.

Cabrera was hoping to best Seychelles after taking inspiration from an unofficial match against Malawi in Saudi Arabia, which saw the men in red and green create many chances in a come-from-behind 1-1 draw against an opponent ranked 120th.

"Our target is to win both games. We are not thinking that Seychelles are a weak team. We have to prove ourselves and show the consistency that we have lacked in previous years. We have always alternated between good and bad performances. But we need to be more consistent and this is a very good opportunity to show the consistency that we did in Saudi Arabia. We have to be very serious about the two games," Cabrera told this reporter after the pre-match press conference.

The 37-year-old also opined that playing against a lower-ranked side did not add any pressure but added that playing in front of a home crow would.

"It is not pressure. I think it is important to have tension. Again, we have to be smart enough to face the opponents in the most professional way and so it makes sense to think whether they are higher or lower-ranked sides," Cabrera said. "Seychelles played against Comoros, who are 17 places ahead of Seychelles, but they drew. Don't believe Seychelles is a weak team. That would be the first mistake and we will regret it."

Captain Jamal Bhuiyan is also optimistic of securing a win although the last time the two teams met during a four-nation tournament in Sri Lanka in 2021, Seychelles staged a strong comeback in a 1-1 draw.

"We are ready for the match. The mood in the group is good and everybody is positive about the next two matches. Everyone knows that if we can produce good results in these two matches, it will be good preparation for the upcoming SAFF Championship," Jamal said.

Nevertheless, Bangladesh will want goals from their strikers, including Nigeria-born Eleta Kingsley, who is likely to make his debut for Bangladesh.

On the back of only six training sessions, Seychelles coach Neville Both expressed his desire to win both matches to inspire his young players ahead of the Indian Ocean Games in August.

"I watched Bangladesh's last game and I think they have progressed since 2021. I know the game won't be easy, but I like to say that we will try to win, especially the first one, because we are preparing for August's Indian Ocean Games. We are going to play strongly in the first match and then try our young players in the second game so they can gain experience," said Both, who is also a physical education teacher in Seychelles.