Bangladesh head coach Javier Cabrera has dismissed any doubts over Hamza Chowdhury’s availability for the upcoming Asian Cup qualifier against India, confirming that the midfielder’s injury is not serious.
Concerns had grown after Hamza was forced off the pitch during Thursday’s 2-2 draw against Nepal at the National Stadium. The England-born defensive midfielder limped off in the 79th minute, sparking fears that he might miss the crucial clash against India. However, Cabrera quickly reassured fans after the match.
“No, it’s nothing serious (Hamza’s injury). Just a minor muscle strain,” said Cabrera. “There’s nothing that would put his participation in the India match at risk.”
Reflecting on the Nepal game, Cabrera expressed frustration as Bangladesh once again surrendered a lead in the final moments — a repeat of their defeat against Hong Kong in the previous qualifier.
“Once again, it’s disappointing, especially the way the match ended,” Cabrera admitted. “We controlled the game from the start, but it was difficult to go ahead. We expected them to sit deep, but the first half turned out to be even tougher. They scored from a rare moment, and we fell behind. Still, I liked how we reacted after the break. Overall though, it was a frustrating performance.”
When asked about the repeated habit of conceding late goals, Cabrera refused to call it a psychological issue but acknowledged the need for improvement.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a mental problem,” he explained. “We’ve practiced these situations a hundred times, but for some reason, we couldn’t handle it again today. It happens, but it’s becoming a pattern. We’ll review the match footage, fix our mistakes, and make sure this doesn’t happen against India — we still have four days to prepare.”
Bangladesh will face India next Tuesday in the return leg of the third-round qualifiers, and Cabrera made it clear that his side’s focus is firmly on securing a win.
“I’m not happy with the result — it’s disappointing. We were so close to winning,” Cabrera said. “Even though the performance wasn’t our best, victory was within reach. Now we must analyze the Nepal match properly and focus on our main goal for this window — earning three points against India.”
