Bangladesh determined to compete on equal terms with Vietnam
According to the latest FIFA ranking, Vietnam Football team have taken 108th position, while Bangladesh have taken 180th spot. They are 72 places ahead of Bangladesh.
Bangladesh have not played a friendly match with such a top-ranked team in recent times. However, Captain of Bangladesh Football team Jamal Bhuyan assured the journalists they will fight on equal terms against them. Bangladesh have played against Vietnam before.
Today, they will face each other in a FIFA International Friendly match for the third time at 6:00pm (Bangladesh Standrad Time) at Hang Day Stadium in Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam. Private satellite sports channel T Sports will telecast the match live. Captain of Bangladesh Football team Jamal Bhuyan will lead his team, while Captain of Vietnam team Do Day Manh will lead his side.
Jamal Bhuyan said at a press conference on Wednesday, “The match will be tough, but Bangladesh are improving. We believe that we have the ability to fight on equal terms with Vietnam.” Head Coach of Bangladesh Football team Javier Cabrera and Head Coach of Vietnam Football team Kim Sang-sik were also present at the conference on the same day.
Head Coach of Bangladesh Coach Javier Cabrera sees the Vietnam match as a platform to boost his confidence.
Because his team will face Singapore in the last match of the Asian Cup qualifier on March 31. Cabrera said, “Our main goal is to prepare for the upcoming official match against Singapore. Facing Vietnam is very important for us because they are one of the strongest teams in Southeast Asia. Playing against them will help us boost our confidence.”
The Bangladesh Head Coach is quite cautious about the presence of new and strong footballers like Suan Son and Brazilian-born Hoang Heng in the opposing Vietnam team.
However, he is taking it as a challenge. He said, “With the presence of Suan Son and another Brazilian-born player (Hoang Heng), Vietnam’s lineup are now very strong. We hope Bangladesh can face the strongest team in Vietnam.”
Hamza Choudhury joined the team on Tuesday. So, Javier Cabrera is highly delighted. He said, “Hamza only arrived yesterday afternoon. He is fine, and he has adapted to the weather and conditions. We will monitor his performance in the match.”
Head Coach of Vietnam Football team Kim Sang-sik said, “I am aware of Hamza. He is playing in England. Together with my players, we are analysing videos of him to find ways to deal with his strengths. Our target is to win the match.”
Captain of Vietnam Football team Do Duy Manh said, “We’ll stay focused, play with discipline, and follow the instructions of the coaching staff. Even though it’s a friendly match, we’ll aim for victory as it also affects our FIFA ranking.”
