Sports Reporter :
Spirited Bangladesh Football team will take on Maldives in their match of the SAFF Championship at the National Football Stadium in Maldives today. The match will kick-off at 10.00pm (BST). Private satellite sports channel T Sports will telecast the match live from the arena.
Bangladesh gained four points from two matches, while Maldives remained with naught playing one match. Bangladesh made an auspicious start as they beat Sri Lanka by a solitary goal in their first match at the same venue on October 1.
Then the 10-man red-and-green outfit made a 1-1 draw with favourites India at the same venue on October 4.
On the other hand, hosts Maldives tasted a 1-0 defeat to Nepal in their first match at the same venue on October 1.
Before today’s match, Bangladesh faced Maldives in 12 occasions. Of them, Bangladesh won five matches, while Maldives recorded four victories and rest of the three matches ended in draws.
Reigning champions Maldives clinched the SAFF Championship title for twice and they became runners-up for three times.
On the other hand, Bangladesh won the SAFF Championship for only one time and the red-and-green outfit became runners-up for twice.
Captain of Bangladesh team Jamal Bhuiyan said, ” I am not interested about the past. We have come hear with a specific target. If we want to take place in the final, we have to win next two matches.”
Newly appointed Head Coach of Bangladesh team Oscar Bruzon said, ” We shall miss Bishwanath Ghosh and Rakib Hossain as they showed red card in their last matches. But we have alternative players of them. Maldives are the hosts team. But we shall play to win.”
Head Coach of Maldives Football team Mohamed Nizam said, ” Maldives team have many talented players than Bangladesh team. Ali Ashfaq is a legend footballer. Besides, Ali Fasir and Akram are also classic players. Maldives are advanced side than that of Maldives.
It may be mentioned that Bangladesh blanked Maldives by 8-0 goals in the football competition of the SAF Games in 1985. But Bangladesh tasted a 5-0 goals defeat to Maldives in 2016.
Nizam said, ” We were in a backward position in the eighties and nineties. We gave emphasis for the development in the 21st century. Specially we have given importance in the grass-root level. A lot of talented players have been coming from the grass-root level. We have been getting good results.”
He said, ” There are eight clubs in our Premier Division Football League. All the clubs have academies. There are youngsters in those academies. They will be the star footballers of Maldives for the upcoming seasons.”
He said, “The match between Maldives and Bangladesh will be a tight tussle. May Bangladesh win the match but I am confident that Maldives will earn a good result.”
