Javier Cabrera expressed quiet optimism regarding Bangladesh's fixtures in the third round of Asian Cup Qualifiers, which pitted his charges against India, Hong Kong and Singapore in Group C.
With a month and a half left to Javier Cabrera’s extended contract, the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) is yet to take any decision whether to extend with the Spaniard or look for a replacement.
The Bangladesh Football Ultras cheered on the team right through the match and serenaded them on their way out of the Bashundhara Kings Stadium, where Javier Cabrera’s charges had just snatched a deserved victory in stoppage time, thanks to a late goal from substitute midfielder Papon Singh.
Bangladesh coach Javier Cabrera had neither any explanation nor any excuse after his side lost a FIFA friendly match against Maldives 1-0 at home, dashing their hopes of getting a favourable draw in next year's Asian Cup Qualifiers.
Bangladesh coach Javier Cabrera has not included captain Jamal Bhuiyan in the preliminary squad for the upcoming FIFA friendlies against Maldives at home next month.
Bangladesh football team’s head coach Javier Cabrera told media today that he expects Leicester City midfielder Hamza Choudhury in the side from the start of the first match of the AFC Asian Cup in March next year.
A stoppage-time strike from Kinga Wangchuk handed a visiting Bangladesh a 1-0 defeat to hosts Bhutan in the second and final FIFA friendly match at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu, Bhutan on Sunday.
The Spaniard took heart from the fact that his team came out with a victory despite not being in the best of shape and having to deal with the high altitude of Thimphu.
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.
Although Bangaldesh could not win a single match in the Asian Cup Qualifiers last June, the charges of Spanish coach Javier Cabrera showed some signs of improvement with competitive displays against highly-ranked Bahrain, Turkmenistan and Malaysia despite the absence of key players.
It might have been tough to find even a single Bangladesh football fan who expected anything big from the national football team when a depleted squad left the country last month.
Bangladesh centre-back Topu Barman, who is missing the Asian Cup Qualifiers due to a long-term injury, was impressed with the positive performance of the team against Turkmenistan in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.
After a goalless draw in an international friendly against Indonesia on Wednesday, Bangladesh reached Kuala Lumpur today to gear up for the Asian Cup Qualifiers, starting from June 8. Bangladesh were placed in Group E alongside Malaysia, Bahrain and Turkmenistan.
Bangladesh national football team had a good preparation for the upcoming Asian Cup Qualifiers when a depleted side played out a goalless draw against Indonesia in a FIFA friendly in Bandung, Indonesia tonight.
Before the departure of the national football team for Jakarta on Friday for their FIFA friendly against Indonesia and the ensuing Asian Cup Qualifiers in Malaysia, the national team’s head coach Javier Cabrera remained optimistic about their chances despite the absence of experienced forwards in his squad.
