Indian footballers shift focus to Bangladesh after losing to Qatar
With the fighting loss to Qatar done and dusted with, Indian footballers are now looking forward to their next match against Bangladesh in the 2022 World Cup and 2023 Asian Cup Qualifiers. Playing with 10 men for a major part of the match, India went down 0-1 to Qatar in their previous outing in the joint preliminary qualification round on Thursday.
Indian team is going through a lengthy win-less streak
Notably, India is out of the reckoning for the next round of World Cup qualifiers but still hoping to make the continental showpiece in China in two years. Mid-fielder Brandon Fernandes said that the upcoming fixture is extremely crucial for the Indian team, which is going through one of their longest win-less streaks of all time.
Bangladesh's counter-attacking football a challenge for Indian players
India is above Bangladesh in rankings but defender Subhashish Bose acknowledged their opponents' quality, having chosen to ignore the FIFA pecking order. "They are a side that plays a lot of counter-attacking football, and that is very dangerous. India versus Bangladesh has always been exciting and close matches. We have huge respect for Bangladesh," Bose said.
Bangladesh's previous match against Afghanistan ended in a draw
India's match against Bangladesh is scheduled for June 7. In their previous match, Bangladesh came back from behind to hold Afghanistan 1-1 and earn a point. "I am very pleased with the performance against Afghanistan. The players worked extremely hard. It reflects the attitude which this team has— to come back from behind and get back into the game," Bangladesh's Coach Jamie Day said.
Indian players fought like warriors against Qatar: Day
Regarding India's performance against Qatar, Day said, "You look at India's last match against Qatar— with 10 men they fought like warriors and lost 0-1. It only depicts the quality in their side. We are looking forward to the game."
'Match between India and Bangladesh is going to be intense'
Bangladesh's Captain Jamal Bhuyan, who played for Mohammedan Sporting in the Hero I-League, feels it's "going to be an intense match" when India and Bangladesh take the field. "Last time in Kolkata, we were disappointed not to get the three points as India scored very late in the game. We have got that hunger, and we know we can do some damage," he said.
Confidence in our team is good at the moment: Bhuyan
Referring to the upcoming match between Bangladesh and India, Bhuyan said, "The confidence in our team is good at the moment. We had our chance of winning against Afghanistan. We take that confidence with us into the upcoming game."
