Goalscorer Sufil rues missed chances
Bangladesh coach Jamie Day admitted that his side should have come out with all three points against Thailand, but said he was happy with the performance of his charges. The 38-year-old coach claimed his players did not allow Thailand, a technically better side according to him, to play their natural game.
“I am extremely pleased with today's performance. The shape and work rate of my boys was fantastic,” Day said after the 1-1 draw against Thailand at the Pakansari Stadium yesterday. “We deserved to go one-up early in the game, but you could see the players were tired. Thailand are technically better than us, but we showed character and desire and we were unlucky not to get three points.”
The coach felt the mistakes made by his charges -- two great opportunities spurned by goalscorer Mahbubur Rahman Sufil and the fumble by goalkeeper Ashraful Islam Rana which allowed Thailand the equaliser -- are a part of the game.
“We don't criticize people for making mistakes. Our work rate has been brilliant,” Day said.
“Thailand played as well as we let them. If they did not play well, it was because my boys did not let them. I'm disappointed with the goal [we conceded], but that's a part of the game. If I was given this result at the start of the game, I would have taken it,” said the Englishman.
The goalscorer though, lamented his missed opportunities, which he felt could have killed the game in the first half.
“I'm happy with scoring for the country in my first Asian Games,” Sufil, the former under-19 striker, said. “I got two chances in the first half. Had I scored those, we would have won the game. I would definitely try to score more if I get such scoring chances next time,” he added.
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