DPR Korea head coach Ri Song-ho said his team is alert about Bangladesh forward Ritu Porna Chakma before their next match.
Bangladesh will play DPR Korea in their second group match on Friday at 8:00 AM BST. The match will take place at CommBank Stadium in Sydney.
Ri spoke about Bangladesh at a press conference before the game. He said his team respects the opponent and will not take them lightly.
“I came here and watched the match between China and Bangladesh. I felt Bangladesh are much stronger than I thought. Their attack is very fast, and their speed and skill in moving from defence to attack are very sharp. They are a very quick team. So in the next match, our defence must stay much more focused, so they do not get any chance to score.”
Bangladesh impressed many people during their match against China. At one moment, Ritu Porna Chakma almost scored with a long range shot. The ball came very close to the net.
Ri said his team is watching a few Bangladesh attackers closely. He mentioned Ritu Porna as one of the key players.
“We think three players in Bangladesh’s attack are dangerous. We are especially careful about the player wearing jersey number 17 (Ritu Porna Chakma), who can attack very quickly down the left side. As I said before, their attacking players have a lot of speed. Their speed in both attack and defence is making us think. So in tomorrow’s match, our defence must stay even more focused to stop these players.”
The DPR Korea coach also said his team want to win all their group matches.
“I understand the situation that if the third match ends in a draw after two matches, then the team with a better goal difference can get an advantage. But this is not our main strategy. We want to win all three group matches. So instead of focusing on increasing goal difference, we are focusing more on winning each match. All three teams are very strong. There is no chance to take any team lightly. Tomorrow’s match will be a big challenge for us.”
Ri also praised the progress of Bangladesh football.
“Teams from this region, including Bangladesh, are improving very fast. After watching yesterday’s match against China, it felt like Bangladesh have made big progress. Now they are rising as one of the stronger teams in Asia.”
He then added with a smile, “And when you say Bangladesh, don’t you think of cricket first?”
