Bangladesh Under-23s have been drawn with Uzbekistan, Hong Kong and Afghanistan in Group B for the Asian Games football, scheduled to be held in Incheon, South Korea, from September 19 to October 4. The draw was held on Thursday at the Harbour Park Hotel’s Grand Ballroom, Incheon. The football event will kick off on September 14, five days before the opening, with Bangladesh facing Hong Kong in their first group match the next day.
The Bangladesh Under-23 team will play against Uzbekistan on September 18 before concluding their group
phase with a match against South Asian country Afghanistan on September 22.
A total of 29 teams splitting into eight groups will play in the Games with the two top teams from each group progressing to the round of sixteen.
In the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games Bangladesh also faced Uzbekistan and Hong Kong in the group phase and they lost by 3-0 and 4-1 goals respectively.
Rene Koster, the Dutch assistant coach of the Bangladesh team, admitted that it will be tough for his side to qualify for the next round.
‘I think qualifying for the next round will be tough for us,’ said Koster. ‘But if our team play according to our plan then we have also a bright chance of finishing second in the group,’ added Koster, who is guiding the side in absence of head coach Lodewijk De Kruif.
Kruif is now in Holland to be with his ailing father.
‘I think Uzbekistan and Hong Kong are the favourites in the group and for moving into the next round those two matches will be crucial for us.’
-With New Age input
