If you thought, oh, it’s Bhutan, think again. And then, go back to 10 October 2016, AFC Asian Cup Qualification Play off second leg game. You don’t remember?
Don’t blame you, many football fans decided to erase that day from memory.
For those who played that match for Bangladesh against the Dragon Boys, in Bhutan, the day can be termed the nadir of our footballing history. Black moment for the boys in red and green, a milestone for Bhutan.
Bangladesh were shaky even before the game, eventually losing the game 3-1 in front of a partisan Bhutanese crowd. So, let’s not be overconfident because the Dragon Boys are not here to add to the number but to pull off some surprises.
For too long, tangible South Asian glory eluded them and, for too long, opponents just brushed them aside with that condescending line: oh, Bhutan!
But, as Bangladesh kicks off their SAFF campaign on home soil, there’s no room for any complacency at all.
Bhutan, standing at 192 in the FIFA rankings, has made remarkable progress since the turn of the millennium when they were at the bottom of the FIFA table.
Just to brush up on your history: on 30 June 2002, just before the World Cup finals, there was another ‘final’ between two lowest ranked teams in the world: Bhutan and Montserrat in Bhutan.
Arranged by two Dutch advertising partners since Netherlands were not in the 2002 World Cup, this game, sanctioned by FIFA, garnered, equal interest/intrigue, if not more across the globe.
Bhutan kept the honour of the South Asian region, winning the match 4-0. There’s also a documentary on the match, aptly called ‘The Other Final’.
Since then, the Dragon Boys have progressed.
Bangladesh, therefore, need to take the field with an air of reverence towards the opponents. Against Bangladesh, they played 19 matches, lost 15, drew two and won two.
If records provide any indication, Bangladesh fans can feel a sense of optimism but lest we forget, Bhutan will not want to go back with the ‘whipping boys’ epithet.
They lost their last two friendlies against Cambodia and a resurrected Sri Lankan side, bolstered by expatriate players, whereas Bangladesh also lost their last three games, all at the ASEAN Cup, with a comprehensive drubbing by Indonesia in the last match.
Naturally, both sides will want to begin SAFF with a bang, with Bhutan looking to secure another win against Bangladesh.
The boys in red and green will be missing some of their marquee expat players but Bangladesh have won games without them before and if they play as a cohesive unit, a victory should not be impossible.
The worry always is about goalkeeping errors!
Hopefully, following the debacle at the ASEAN, the coach and the players have worked on the defence and a strategy to minimise errors under the bar.
If one wants to talk about pressure, Bangladesh will be under expectation all throughout the tournament because fans won’t be satisfied with anything other than the trophy.
Be that as it may, the battles need to be taken one at a time with speculation and analyses often falling flat in the face of luck. In South Asia, all teams are of the same level, at least at this tournament, with underdogs often holding the hidden ace of spades.
The appeal of any match multiplies when the opponents hit the field with all guns blazing, with the never say die approach. Good luck to Bangladesh but let’s also hope Bhutan takes to the field with the fiery resolve of the dragon.
Let the match provide a bang for the buck!
