Bangladesh will begin their SAFF Championship campaign against Bhutan in Dhaka on Thursday with a rare opportunity to challenge for the title as regional favourites, backed by home support and a squad strengthened by overseas-based players.
The hosts kick off at 8:00pm at the National Stadium, aiming to end a 23-year wait for their second regional crown. Their only SAFF title came in 2003, also on home soil.
The mood around the team is different from the previous time Bangladesh hosted the competition in 2018. Then, expectations were low after the national side suffered their worst-ever international result. This time, they enter the tournament with greater regional expectations following their semifinal appearance in 2023, which ended a 17-year wait to reach the last four.
The arrival of Sheffield United midfielder Hamza Choudhury and other overseas-based players has added strength to Thomas Dooley’s squad. Bangladesh’s recent FIFA ASEAN Cup campaign, however, offered a reminder of the challenges ahead. They lost all three matches, including a 9-2 defeat against Indonesia.
Captain Topu Barman believes the team have a significant opportunity to end their long wait for the trophy.
“I will try to give my best from the back with the whole team. I think we will not get a better time than this on our home ground. If you look at our team, it is very different now. We have a higher possibility here if we can all perform unitedly and work as a team,” Topu said at Wednesday’s pre-tournament press briefing.
Bhutan, meanwhile, are the second-lowest-ranked side in the competition, 10 places below Bangladesh. The hosts have never lost to them at home or on neutral ground, with their only two defeats against Bhutan coming in Thimphu.
Both teams enter the competition without a preparatory friendly. Bangladesh recently played in the ASEAN Cup, while Bhutan have not featured in an international match since June.
Bhutan coach Gary Phillips acknowledged the difficulty of facing the hosts without preparation but said the tournament offered regional teams an opportunity to compete.
“Without any preparation, it’s always very, very difficult against any team. And obviously, playing against the host nation will be — it adds pressure to everyone. Having said that, it’s not an AFC or World Cup qualifying tournament; it’s an opportunity for local nations to play each other,” Phillips said.
The tournament opens on Thursday with defending champions India facing Pakistan at 3:30pm. India have brought a second-string squad, while Pakistan have improved in recent years with the addition of Europe-based players.
