Tajik test for U-19s

Bangladesh will start their campaign to secure a place in the finals of the AFC U-19 Championship when they take on hosts Tajikistan in one of the opening day's two matches of Group B at Hisor Central Stadium today.

The match will get underway on the newly-laid astro-turf of the stadium at 6:00pm (Bangladesh time).

After appearing in the final round in 1975, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1996 and 2002, Bangladesh have failed to qualify for that level over the last seven editions.

This time they have set their sights on the finals either as group champions or as one of the five best runners-up teams, thanks to their spirited performances in the SAFF U-18 Championship where they finished runners-up despite having equal points with eventual champions Nepal.

Under the guidance of Mahbub Hossain Roxy, the boys in red and green played some exciting football against their South Asian rivals. However, they will face an uphill task in the AFC campaign considering the presence of opponents like Tajikistan and four-time semifinalists Uzbekistan.

Bangladesh team will have to overcome three obstacles -- the fear of playing against the hosts, the chilling condition and a strong home crowd -- if they are to make a good start against Tajikistan.

The charges of Roxy, however, got three days in Tajikistan to acclimatise to the conditions after a nine-day camp at home. The coach believes everything is going in the right direction, but he is obviously tipping the hosts as favourites.

“They have the advantage as they are physically imposing and they also have the home crowd and conditions in their favour,” Roxy said. “We need to motivate our players not to feel afraid. If they can settle themselves during the first match, there will be no problem in the whole tournament.”

The coach seemed a bit worried about the crowd too. “The players will not only have to fight against Tajikistan but also combat against the strong home crowd who come at the venue with drums and whistles to support their team continuously from the gallery,” said the former national player, hoping that his charges will not get overawed by the crowd as they went through the same situation in Bhutan during the SAFF U-18 Championship.

The coach said they have some idea about the playing style of the opposition and has prepared his side accordingly.

“We have learnt that they play in 4-4-2 formation. We have provided as much as information to the boys we could,” said Roxy adding that he will line up his side in 4-3-3 formation to get a positive result.