Hong Kong China coach Ashley Westwood does not see anything particularly special in the fact that his team is 38 spots ahead of Bangladesh in the FIFA rankings.
Naturally, Hamza Chowdhury features heavily in Xavier Cabrera’s plans for Bangladesh. He is also on Westwood’s mind, but the English coach is not building his strategy around a single player. In Westwood’s approach, it’s the entire Bangladesh team that matters.
In the third round of Asian Cup qualifiers, Bangladesh will face Hong Kong on Thursday at 8 PM. Hong Kong currently has 4 points, equal to Singapore in Group C, while Bangladesh and India have 1 point each.
Playing at home, Bangladesh aims to strengthen its shaky position on the points table. Much is expected from Leicester City star Hamza Chowdhury, but Westwood made it clear that his strategy does not revolve around any one player.
“We are aware of Hamza’s capabilities. In England, he has mostly played as a right-back. We know he can also play in midfield and even as a defensive midfielder. But our plan is not centered on him alone. A team cannot be built around a single player.”
He added,
“It’s the same for us. We have individually talented players too, but we focus on team spirit. Everything for me is team-centric, not about one player.”
After the first leg at Bangladesh’s national stadium, Hong Kong will host Bangladesh on Tuesday. Despite limited preparation, Westwood aims to return home with all three points.
“Honestly, I won’t predict the match outcome. That would be disrespectful to Bangladesh. We know they are a good team. We will try to perform well with proper planning and respect for the opponent. If we fail to do so, we will lose. If we do not give our best, make mistakes, or lack determination, defeat is guaranteed — and that prediction will come true.”
Westwood also spoke about his team’s preparation:
“We started preparing as soon as we got the players last Monday, so preparation began late. We had to work quickly. We ensured the players had proper meals and recovery time. They are happy, and we are looking forward. This is a six-match mini-league. If we win at home and secure a win away, we’ll be very close to qualifying. Of course, we will aim for all three points.”
So far, Hong Kong has not tasted defeat in the qualifiers. They drew with Singapore at the start and beat India. They have never lost to Bangladesh. However, Westwood warned that statistics and FIFA rankings — Bangladesh 184th, Hong Kong 146th — will not guarantee victory on the field.
“I don’t think rankings will have any impact. Both teams have improved. Bangladesh is not where it was 18 months ago. They have a stable coach who wants them to play football, and new players have joined. Overall, rankings are irrelevant.”
“For example, we lost to Liechtenstein in October last year when they were ranked 203rd, but they play in Europe. That’s why we don’t focus on rankings. We focus on the opponent because anything can happen in football.”
