Shamit Shome believes Bangladesh can make their mark at the FIFA ASEAN Cup after the national team began preparations in Indonesia ahead of Friday’s opening match against Malaysia.
The midfielder, who returned to the national set-up after a few months away, was impressed by the team’s intensity during their first training sessions in Jakarta.
“It feels very good to be back and play with everyone again. The team looks very sharp and training has been very good,” Shome said. “Everyone has the same goal — to do well for Bangladesh, win matches and play good football.”
Bangladesh arrived in Jakarta on Sunday for the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup. They have been drawn in Group A alongside Malaysia, Singapore and hosts Indonesia, with all three group matches scheduled at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium. Their campaign begins against Malaysia on September 25.
Shome is among nine expatriate players in Thomas Dooley’s 23-man squad, which also includes England-based Hamza Choudhury and new faces such as Farhaan Ali Wahid, Zidane Yousuf and Japan-based Shuki Itofusa.
The Canada-based midfielder said the new additions had already brought greater competition to the squad.
“I’m very impressed. Everyone can add something to our group. That will improve the squad and increase the competition,” he said.
Dooley, however, admitted the biggest challenge is the limited time available to build understanding. The coach said the team had only two or three days to work with the full squad before facing Malaysia.
“We had a good session today. Great field, great facility,” Dooley said. “The sad thing is that we have only two, three days to prepare for the first game with the whole squad.”
He added that the new players still need time to develop combinations with established members of the team, including Hamza Chowdhury and Farhan Ali.
Dooley also revealed that Mozammel Hossain has a calf issue and was awaiting scan results before deciding whether he could train on Wednesday.
Despite the tight preparation window, Shome sees the tournament as an important opportunity for Bangladesh to test themselves at a higher level.
“It’s a very big tournament, a FIFA event. It’s a very good opportunity for Bangladesh to prove that we can play at a higher level,” he said. “I’m confident we can do well and put in a good performance.”
