The 1-1 draw against Sri Lanka on Friday stretched Bangladesh national football team’s winless streak to five, taking some gloss off from Bangladesh Football Federation’s initiative of hosting regular international matches. Though Bangladesh dominated the match and the players took some satisfaction from the performance, their inability to beat an inexperienced Sri Lankan side is still being considered as a failure.
Bangladesh national team tasted their last victory in an international match way back in March 2013 when they beat minnows Northern Mariana Island in the qualifying round of the AFC Challenge Cup in Nepal.
Since then Bangladesh played five matches; three in the 2013 SAFF Championship, a FIFA friendly against India in Goa this year and Friday’s friendly against Sri Lanka.
Of the five matches, they lost two and drew the other three.
Skipper Mamunul Islam held – lack of playing enough international matches – responsible for their failure.
‘I have to admit that we could not manage a win in the last one-and-half-a- year but you have to consider that we didn’t play the matches on a regular basis,’ he said.
‘Though we failed to beat Sri Lanka in Jessore, we dominated the match from the beginning till end.’
Mamunul also hailed BFF’s latest initiative of hosting more international matches at home and hoped that it will help them prepare better for next year’s SAFF Championship in India.
‘Our team is now in a good shape and we played as an unit,’ said Mamunul, ‘I have to thank BFF as they are trying to give us an opportunity to play regularly. If they continue this initiative, I am sure we will get some good results in the next year’s SAFF Championship.’
Zahid Hasan Ameli, who scored his record 17th goal for Bangladesh in Friday’s friendly at Jessore, believed that a win in the next match in Rajshahi on October 27, will change the team’s spirit.
‘A win is much-needed for our side at the moment,’ said Ameli.
‘We may have played better but without a win it cannot satisfy our football lovers. I just hope we will get the coveted win in Rajshahi.’
Ameli admitted that they had to be satisfied with a draw in Friday’s match only because of striking failure.
‘I think we have some quality strikers in this team. Mithun has a bright future, also Wahed and Toklis are shaping up nicely. But we have to take the opportunities that come to our way,’ he said.
Interim coach Saiful Bari Titu also put an emphasis on regular playing opportunity.
‘BFF is taking some positive steps by organising international matches. If they can continue it, we will soon become a power-horse in the sub-continent that we once were,’ he said.
-With New Age input
