Men quietly confident ahead of Cambodia clash

While the people in the nation were in a celebratory mood as they welcomed home the triumphant Bangladesh women's football team following a historic triumph in the SAFF Women's Championship, the men's football team was preparing for a FIFA-sanctioned friendly against Cambodia today.

The men in red and green will be hoping to keep their unbeaten record against the Southeast Asian nation intact when the match kicks off at the Morodok Techno National Stadium in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh at 6:00pm (Bangladesh Standard Time).

Bangladesh have never lost to Cambodia across four meetings in the span of 13 years. Their record includes three wins and one draw.

However, Bangladesh have not been at their best in the recent past, evidenced by their 192nd rank in the FIFA Rankings, 18 places behind Cambodia -- who performed well in June's Asian Cup Qualifiers by playing out a 2-2 draw against Afghanistan after losing India and Hong Kong.

Bangladesh are yet to win after six matches under Javier Cabrera, but they showed steady signs of improvement. Coupled with four uninterrupted weeks of preparation, Cabrera sees a chance to win.

"We had a 20-day training camp in Bangladesh and six to seven days in Cambodia so preparations have been fantastic. We have been able to implement the changes we wanted. We think we are ready for the match, which I expect to be a tight affair," Cabrera said at the pre-match conference yesterday.

The Spaniard also emphasised that the men would have to take any half-chances that fell their way.

"We have to be competitive and we have to do it. We truly think we have a chance to beat Cambodia," the 37-year-old who has overseen four losses and two draws added.

Captain Jamal Bhuiyan opined that it was time for players to translate performances from training to the pitch.

"Everything has been positive. We all are looking forward to the game, which is very important for us. We want to win the match. It is a good time for players to show they have done in the previous weeks," Jamal said.

Jamal and Co on Tuesday played a closed-doors match against Cambodia, with most players getting game time although the result was not disclosed.

"Cambodia are a good opponent. They play brave football and we played defensively. We now know their strengths and weaknesses, but I am not going to tell you. They also know us. It was a good game against a team similar to ours. I think tomorrow will be a 50-50 match," said Jamal.