'These boys will go down in history'
Bangladesh coach Jamie Day said his charges will go down in history for securing a second-round berth in the men's football event of the Asian Games for the first time following their 1-0 win over Qatar at the Patriot Chandrabhaga Stadium in Jakarta last night.
The English coach, who has been in charge for around eight weeks, applauded his charges for never giving up and playing with a real desire and discipline.
"Before we came, we wanted to enjoy the experience," the 38-year-old said at the post-match press conference. "These boys will go down in history, that's a massive achievement.
"They keep working; they keep running. They can't be faulted for their effort so far. Fitness and organisation is not easy to show in a short period of time," Day added.
The coach seemed visibly and audibly frustrated as Bangladesh failed to find the goal that they needed as there were holes in midfield and the attacking third. But one aspect of the game that stood out was the defensive organisation and a nerveless attitude. The coach did not forget to credit his defenders.
"They dug in and put their bodies on the line. They are hard to beat, hard to break down. They keep working, they keep running. Can't fault their effort so far," he said.
Skipper Jamal Bhuiyan, who scored the all-important goal that took the team to the knockout rounds for the first time, said they had heart.
"Qatar can have all the money in the world, but we had heart," the 26-year-old midfielder said. "It was a good goal. It was not my goal, it was the team's goal and it was a very important one."
The press conference was interrupted briefly as a few of the players came from the dressing room and started to chant 'Bangladesh, Bangladesh'.
When asked about the celebration and the mood in the dressing room, Jamal summed it up nicely. "I haven't seen this in the Bangladesh dressing room before. Beating Qatar is not something you do every day."
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