Bangladesh Under-19 national football team coach Rene Koster thinks his team can get out of its qualifying group next week and go through to the 2014 Asian Football Confederation Under-19 Championship in Myanmar. The Dutchman only took charge of the team on September 8 – a week after their training camp had begun – but is nevertheless satisfied with the team’s preparation and is confident that they have the potential to qualify.
‘I’m very proud of this team. We have 21 very good players, very talented players. They adapt [to the] Dutch playing-style. We want to build up from the back; we want to take possession; we want to play to win,’ Koster said during a press conference at the Bangladesh Football Federation House on Thursday.
The team will leave Dhaka for Iraq on October 6 to participate in qualifying matches against Group C opponents Iraq, Pakistan and Kuwait from October 8-12. The winners of the nine qualifying groups will each earn a spot in next year’s tournament, along with the six best group runners-up and hosts Myanmar.
Koster has still not picked his final 18-member squad and plans to travel with 21 players before making his final selections. The team will be captained by midfielder Hemonta Vincent Biswas and vice-captained by national team forward Toklis Ahmed.
Koster identified next week’s hosts Iraq as the group’s major threat, but he also said that he was more concerned about his own group than the strong teams they would have to face.
‘Iraq is a very good team, and they won the tournament two years ago. We didn’t play enough international friendly matches, so I don’t know how we are when we play outside [Bangladesh]. The target is to be number one or number two in the group. We would be very disappointed if we don’t make our target.’
‘I watched the video of Iraq, Kuwait and Pakistan and of course they are very good opponents, but I’m only looking at my team and my team is preparing well. Every training session, we are getting better and better. Hopefully we will do well in Iraq and qualify for the tournament in Myanmar,’ he added.
Koster also expressed confidence that a number of his players of would break into the national team by 2015.
‘Our main target is 2015. In this group there are many talented players, and many of them will make it into the national team in two years. To gain international experience, we will go [to Iraq],’ he said.
Bangladesh national team head coach Lodewijk de Kruif, who will accompany Koster as a technical advisor, is also satisfied with the youth team.
‘This team is full of talent. This team is fit, both mentally and physically, and also has ability to adapt with the way of our thinking and our playing style. They are very willing, very quick and hungry to get a good result and to put Bangladesh football on the landscape,’ said De Kruif.
‘Rene is in charge of the Under-19s and I’m going there as the coach or technical advisor. I will be there if Rene needs
me. I will give my opinion and I will give all the knowledge I have in every case and in every area of football,’ De Kruif said of his role alongside his compatriot.
-With New Age input
