Asian Games bound-Bangladesh U-23 football team aimed for a better performance than the previous edition in 2006 on the eve of their departure for Guangzhou on Wednesday night.
Bangladesh took part in the Asian Games football for the first time in 1978 in Bangkok and apart from 1994 and 1998 Games they participated in all the other editions including the Doha Games in 2006. They have won only two out of the 17 matches they played in the Games. Bangladesh defeated Malaysia 2-1 in 1982 and beat Nepal 1-0 in 1986. These two wins remain as the only success of the Bangla-desh football team to date.
Croatian coach Robert Rubcic, however, was hoping to go past the first round, a feat never achieved by Bangladesh. ‘This is a U-23 level competition and the difference between the teams is not too wide. However, my team has some loopholes, the players are tired and they have not played any matches together for the last nine months. So, how can I assess the performances of the players?,’ Rubcic said.
‘Both Uzbekistan and the UAE are strong sides. So, I have asked my players to put in their best efforts and I have set my eyes on the second round. Let’s hope for the best,’ Rubcic added.
