Bangladesh faces SAFF Championship without warm-up

The Bangladesh national team completed another floodlit session at the National Stadium in Dhaka yesterday, positioning themselves to face Bhutan on Thursday in the SAFF Championship without any prior competitive match. Despite seven days of rigorous training under head coach Thomas Dooley since the camp opened on October 25, the squad has never played in full match conditions. This absence of a 90-minute friendly has drawn concern regarding their readiness for the six-team tournament.

The Bangladesh Football Federation admitted to failing to organize intra-squad games or fixtures against foreign sides or local clubs, contrary to promises made by the National Teams Committee. Following their ASEAN Cup defeat against Indonesia on October 2, most players returned to club duties, with locals appearing in league games and internationals resuming overseas campaigns. Former national figures argue that without these matches, tactical refinement and team cohesion have been compromised.

Mamunul Islam, a former captain, noted that while the federation’s inability to arrange games is one issue, the coach’s decision not to play them remains unclear. He emphasized that introducing new players would have benefited from matchday familiarity to establish communication. Similarly, former forward Zahid Hasan Emily stated that identifying strengths and weaknesses requires actual game experience, calling the lack of preparation a significant setback.

Conversely, former coach Shafiqul Islam Manik suggested the team may have already played internally and that Dooley avoids such games to keep his starting lineup selection secret before the match against Bhutan.