Bangladesh captain Topu Barman wants his team to beat Bhutan in their SAFF Championship opener and welcome Hamza Choudhury back to the squad with a victory.
Bangladesh will begin their campaign at the National Stadium in Dhaka on Thursday. Hamza will miss the opening match because of his club commitments.
The midfielder is expected to join the squad before Bangladesh face Sri Lanka in their second group match on November 11. Topu admitted that the team would miss Hamza, especially his leadership on the pitch.
“We will miss him a lot. We really need his leadership in our team. The way he guides us is very special,” Topu said at Wednesday’s press conference.
The captain said the players had known for some time that Hamza would not be available against Bhutan. He now wants Bangladesh to start with a victory so that Hamza can join the team in a positive mood.
“We want to beat Bhutan so that when he joins us, he can come into the team with high morale,” Topu said.
“We want to welcome him with a win.”
Bangladesh will host the SAFF Championship for the first time in eight years. The team will also look to end its 23-year wait for the title.
“The first match is always very important when you play in a tournament. We will definitely take the field to win and want to give the people of Bangladesh a good football match,” Topu said.
The defender also asked the home supporters to stand behind the team as they chase their first SAFF title since 2003.
“We don’t want to miss this opportunity. I want to ask everyone in Bangladesh who loves football to support us wholeheartedly,” Topu said.
“We want to give them what they want, which is the trophy.”
Topu knows that playing at home will bring pressure.
“Of course there is pressure. I think pressure can bring better performances because we have to understand what our football supporters want,” he said.
The Bangladesh captain also spoke about Sri Lanka, who have added several overseas players to their squad. He believes Sri Lanka have become a stronger side and will pose a challenge in the group stage.
Topu said Bangladesh must play as a team to make the most of their home advantage.
“I don’t think we will get a better opportunity than this, playing the SAFF Championship at home,” he said.
“If we all perform together and work as a team, I think our chances are better.”
