India’s head coach Khalid Jamil faced a barrage of questions about Bangladesh midfielder Hamza Chowdhury on Monday, when he spoke to reporters ahead of Tuesday night’s Asian Cup qualifying match in Dhaka.
Hamza has strengthened Bangladesh significantly since his arrival and has already scored four goals in six appearances, a return that has shifted attention towards how India intend to contain him. Jamil, however, chose to broaden the conversation. “Bangladesh are a good team. They have many quality players. We are not taking Bangladesh lightly,” he said.
India entered Group C as the highest ranked side but, like Bangladesh, were eliminated with two matches remaining. Asked about the decline in Indian football, Jamil offered a familiar response, saying only that his focus was on the upcoming fixture. Despite both teams having already exited the competition, he insisted the match still carries weight. “This is not a friendly. It is an Asian Cup qualifier and we want to win,” he said.
Tuesday’s match will kick off at 8 pm under floodlights at the National Stadium, although India trained there unusually early on Monday morning at 9 am. Jamil defended the schedule, explaining, “This is how we always train on the day before a match. It is a normal routine for us.”
For years the Bangladesh India rivalry has been shaped by Sunil Chhetri, whose influence repeatedly frustrated Bangladesh. Chhetri retired last year but briefly returned in March for the earlier qualifier between the sides. Jamil has not recalled him for the away fixture and answered curtly when asked about the veteran forward. “He has retired,” he said.
Jamil, a former India international, has played in this fixture himself and understands its emotional pull. He described the players on both sides as fully alert to the significance of the contest. Throughout the press conference he returned to one theme, emphasising, “We are thinking about tomorrow’s match,” as he sought to draw a line under India’s wider struggles and focus solely on the task ahead.
