The Bangladesh Football Federation on Saturday formally unveiled Japanese Norio Tsukitate as the head coach of women’s national team. Tsukitate arrived on October 4 to take charge of the women’s team ahead of third Women’s SAFF Championship, scheduled in Pakistan from November 11-20. The Japan Football Association will bear the salary of Tsukitate, an AFC A license holder, who for the first time will be coaching a women’s national team.
Before taking up the assignment he worked as the head coach of Guam and Laos men’s national team.
After having a watchful eye on the senior team and Under-16 national team for the last one week, Tsukitate expressed his satisfaction over the progress of Bangladesh’s women football.
‘No doubt they have the potential, but they have to work hard to achieve the success,’ said Tsukitate.
Tsukitate will also work as an advisory coach of the Bangladesh Under-16 women’s national team for the AFC Under-16 qualifiers, set to begin in Dhaka from October 15.
‘I saw them playing in a preparation match couple of days ago, but the surface was very poor so they failed to control the ball throughout the game.’
Tsukitate will get very little time to prepare Bangladesh for the SAFF Championship but he expressed that he will try his best to make some progress.
‘I don’t like to lose any match, I always try to win and I hope Bangladesh will perform well in the SAFF Championship next month,’
‘But it is also true that there is no short cut way for the development in football. To develop the game, you need good and educated coaches as well as a well organised youth development plan, ‘said the Japanese.
Meanwhile, the BFF president Kazi Salahuddin hailed the Japanese coach during the press conference and said that they will observe Tsukitate’s approach till the SAFF Championship.
‘We will observe that how he handles the team for the upcoming SAFF Women’s Championship,’ said Salahuddin.
‘If he can satisfy us, then we will request the JFA to extend the contract.’
‘We hope that under his [Tsukitate] supervision women’s football team will show some progress in the coming days,’ Salahuddin added.
-With New Age input
