Can Bangladesh do miracle in Asian Games soccer?
Bangladesh will meet South Asia Champions Afghanistan, group favourites Uzbekistan and Hong Kong of China in Group B of the 17th Asian Games’ football discipline. Twenty-nine nations have been penciled in eight groups of which there will be three teams in Group F, G and H. Two teams from each group will sail into the quarterfinals. If Bangladesh could enter the last eight, their probable opponents will be either hosts South Korea or former champions Saudi Arabia. It means the soccer team’s journey is also very difficult.
Our neighbours India are in Group G with UAE and Jordan while distant neighbours Pakistan have China and North Korea in Group F. Their chances are also remote. Nepal faces holders Japan, Kuwait and Iraq in Group A, considered by soccer experts as group of death. None can predict which two nations will survive in this group?
Joint favourites for the gold medal Iran are in Group H with Vietnam and Kyrgyzstan. The soccer experts are predicting a Japan-Iran clash in the final.
Back to the Bangladesh team’s prospect, a former British coach for India said, every footballer must have three qualities. These are physical fitness, conviction to win and concentration of mind on pitch. The Germany-Brazil match in the concluded World Cup Football is the example. So, the Bangladeshi footballer should practice the given conditions for producing upsets.
Khurshida Haque
Parbatipur
