Bangladesh captain Jamal Bhuiyan believes that the team has evolved significantly since their last appearance at the SAFF Championship in Bengaluru two years ago. He feels the squad is now stronger and more confident.
In the pre-match press conference ahead of the crucial game against India, Jamal appeared more self-assured than ever. While discussing the team’s goals and expectations for the match, he firmly stated that he doesn’t see a “big difference” between Bangladesh and India.
This isn’t the first time Jamal has spoken with such conviction in front of Indian media. Back in 2019, during the World Cup qualifiers in Kolkata, a local journalist mockingly asked how many goals Bangladesh would concede against India to be satisfied. Jamal’s reply was bold — he wanted to break Indian hearts. He kept his word as Bangladesh held India to a memorable 1-1 draw at the iconic Salt Lake Stadium.
This time, though, there were no sarcastic questions. Yet, Jamal maintained the same confident tone while answering every query.
On Tuesday, Bangladesh will face not just India but also a roaring home crowd in the third round of the Asian Cup qualifiers. However, Jamal remains unfazed by the hostile atmosphere.
“It feels good to be back in India, and I have some good memories here. Like everyone in this room, I’m also excited about tomorrow’s match. Whenever you come here as an opponent, you can feel the buzz before and after the game. But once you’re on the pitch, your focus is entirely on the game. You don’t pay attention to what the crowd is saying. You stay in your own zone, in your own thoughts.”
“What I’m saying is that before the game, you feel this atmosphere — a bit of pressure, a sense of rising expectations. That happens before every match. But once the game starts, the excitement is so intense that you stop noticing the crowd.”
Bangladesh last played in Bengaluru during the 2023 SAFF Championship, where they reached the semi-finals for the first time in 14 years. Jamal feels the team’s mentality and playing style have improved significantly since then.
“Hamza’s inclusion has been a positive addition. But the local players have also improved their game. I believe their mentality has changed. We now play a different brand of football compared to when the coach first arrived. A lot has changed, and I think we are more prepared than we were two years ago. That’s why we say we are a much stronger team now.”
Jamal acknowledged that India’s ISL (Indian Super League) is ahead of Bangladesh’s BPL (Bangladesh Premier League), but he doesn’t see much difference in the quality of players from both countries. When asked about the team’s objective against India, his answer was clear — winning is the only goal.
“I still think there is a big difference between BPL and ISL. ISL is better in quality. But when it comes to local players, I don’t think there’s a big difference between Bangladeshis and Indians.”
“When you play against your big brother, you always want to win, right? That’s exactly what we want to do. I don’t think about rankings. My only focus is on winning the match.”
