Bangladesh captain Afeida Khandakar has promised to deliver a strong performance for the nation ahead of the Asian Cup in March.
The team is currently preparing through a tri-nation series involving Azerbaijan, Malaysia and Bangladesh, which begins on Wednesday. Bangladesh will face Malaysia at the national stadium at 7 pm on the opening day.
In the Fifa rankings, Bangladesh sits 104th, Malaysia 92nd and Azerbaijan 74th. Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Afeida said:
“We will certainly try to play well against Azerbaijan and Malaysia, following the coaches’ instructions. We practised this morning and have been guided on how to approach each match. Inshallah, we will do well. I hope to give the people of Bangladesh a good game, thank you.”
The defender added with confidence:
“You have to adapt to everything. We are working hard to follow the coaches’ instructions, and inshallah, we will achieve positive results.”
Reflecting on past mistakes, Afeida said:
“We qualified for the SAFF under-20 tournament, and later the senior team also qualified for the asian cup. Mistakes are inevitable, but we will learn from them and ensure we play carefully in future matches.”
She also highlighted the team’s strong chemistry, saying:
“We have practised together for 20–25 days, which has helped us develop very good understanding on the field.”
On facing higher-ranked opponents, Afeida added:
“No matter what team they bring, they are certainly higher ranked. We will give our best and try to play at our highest level to win.”
