‘Damage control our job against Qatar’
Bangladesh Football Federation president Kazi Salahuddin hopes the national team will do their best to control damage when they take on Qatar in a World Cup qualifier in Doha on December 4.
The men in red and green have been preparing in the Qatari capital for the away match against the Asian Champions, whom they managed to keep to a 2-0 win in the first leg last year on a rain-soaked pitch at the Bangabandhu National Stadium.
"Qatar is the number one team in Asia. There is actually no comparison to be made between the two sides. I will hope the boys will play good football but I have less expectation from them because they have just started playing football three weeks ago after eight months' gap," Salahuddin said when asked about his expectation from the team regarding the match.
"If I say very gently or softly, damage limitation is now our purpose. Not as the president but as a former player, I think damage control is our main job against Qatar," Salahuddin added.
The BFF president also believes the absence of head coach Jamie Day will have a big impact on the team. The coach tested positive for Covid-19 ahead of the team's departure on November 19. The 41-year-old coach is still in Bangladesh and will join the team once he turns Covid-negative.
"Before the second match against Nepal, Jamie was sick and I read in newspapers that players said the coach's absence would not have any impact on the match. The players said the right thing but Jamie's absence will have a lot of impact on the team against Qatar. Bangladesh can't apply the same style against Qatar which they did against Nepal. It will be a different technical and tactical game against Qatar and I am doubtful about how the assistant coach will shift the tactics in the match. The team will feel the absence of Jamie," said Salahuddin.
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