Bangladesh head coach Haviér Cabrera is determined to put an end to a frustrating pattern of throwing away matches in the final moments.
“We are stronger than ever before,” Cabrera declared confidently at the press conference. Captain Jamal Bhuiyan echoed his coach’s optimism, saying his team has a real chance to win. On the other hand, India coach Khalid Jamil and goalkeeper Sahil Poonia — who represented the Indian squad at the press meet — spoke in a much calmer tone, offering short phrases like “there is pressure” and “it’s an important match.”
But that hasn’t cooled the intensity surrounding the second leg of the third round of the Asian Cup Qualifiers. Both Bangladesh and India are out of the race for qualification and are chasing their first win, along with the desire to finish third in Group C. The two teams will meet on Tuesday at 8 PM at the National Stadium, both desperate to walk away with three points.
History, however, is not on Bangladesh’s side. Their last win over India came in 2003 during the SAFF Championship. The two sides last met in March in Shillong, where they played out a goalless draw.
Bangladesh came closest to beating India in recent years in 2019 at Salt Lake Stadium, when a goal from Saad Uddin put them ahead before a late Indian equaliser snatched away the victory.
Similar heartbreaks have followed. A 4-3 defeat to Hong Kong after conceding late and a 2-2 draw against Nepal after leading late have added to the frustration. Cabrera seems worried about a repeat of such collapses, and he is eager to break the cycle.
“If we want three points, we absolutely cannot let that happen tomorrow. We need to analyse these situations, learn from them, and fix them. Sometimes we handle these moments well — like in the away match against Hong Kong where we defended the box very well. We faced the same situation against Nepal. That’s why friendly matches are played. Now we must learn from them and make sure nothing like that happens tomorrow.”
“The team has to stay strong. We need to play with great intensity and a very clear plan. We know the plan, we have analysed them properly, and we know we can hurt them. It all depends on how we control the tempo and take our chances. But my message is simple — we need three points. We deserve those points, and we are stronger than ever before. That’s what I personally believe.”
India coach Khalid Jamil admitted that the current Bangladesh team — boosted by diaspora players like Hamza Choudhury, Shamit Shome, and Zayann Ahmed — must be respected. Yet he made it equally clear that India will have to give everything to return home happy.
“This is not a friendly. It’s a qualifier. Very important. Any match is important. Yes, there is pressure. Everyone knows we have to take responsibility and work hard.”
Two players dominated conversation after the first-leg match in Shillong — England-born Hamza Choudhury, who made his debut for Bangladesh, and Indian legend Sunil Chhetri, who came out of retirement for that match. Choudhury’s brilliant performance overshadowed Chhetri that day. Now, in the return leg, Chhetri is absent while Hamza remains central to Bangladesh’s plans.
Hamza has already scored four goals in six matches. His understanding with the team has grown significantly. His bicycle kick and Panenka penalty against Nepal have boosted his confidence further. Captain Jamal also praised his partnership with Hamza — highlighting the two assists Hamza provided for his goals.
Khalid Jamil, however, downplayed discussions about both Hamza and Chhetri.
“We don’t think about just one player. All of Bangladesh’s players are good. So we’re thinking about the entire team. He (Chhetri) has retired from international football.”
India, who sit 47 places above Bangladesh in the FIFA rankings, may also be adopting a mind game by not speaking boldly. Cabrera, in contrast, expects India to come out aggressively, and he believes his team must match that intensity. He sees derby-like emotion in the matchup.
“India will probably be more aggressive and they will play to win. We’ve prepared for that. We analysed what we did well and what we didn’t against Nepal. Hopefully everything will work tomorrow.”
“I think there is a lot of emotion in this match — it feels like a derby. How the team controls that emotion will be crucial. This match motivates us, and managing emotions is key if we want to win. We have the ability, and we are stronger than ever. So we must take this chance to finally beat India. To be honest, we are very confident that we can take all three points tomorrow.”
