Forwards finally fire, but midfield raises concern

Bangladesh coach Jamie Day expressed his satisfaction at the quality of the two goals against Nepal on Friday but at the same time expressed concern over not just the attacking third but also other areas on the pitch in regards to the challenge of taking on Qatar in a World Cup qualifier on December 4.

While the coach lamented that his charges could not avail all their scoring chances, he was generous in his praise of goalscorers Nabib Newaz Jibon and Mahbubur Rahman Sufil.

"Very good goals actually. Saad (Uddin) did very well crossing and Jibon did a good finish. It could have been two or three after that. We worked on counter attack in training and it's nice to get the goal after a fine effort. Great run from Sufil," the coach said after the match.

Sufil was satisfied with his effort and the goal, especially as he raced past a defender before curling the ball past the keeper into the far corner of the net.

"The coach said well played and good luck. My club coach also congratulated me. So I'll have to keep working hard to be a regular in the team" the Bashundhara Kings forward told reporters yesterday.

Sufil had come on as a second-half substitute after Sumon Reza, one of the debutants, failed to make an impression while playing as a No. 9. With Bashundhara Kings' striker Matin Mia unavailable, there were only a couple of other options available in that position, namely veteran Tawhidul Alam and untested MS Bablu. Day gave Sumon the chance but was unimpressed with what he saw.

"Sumon hasn't been coached properly (at club level). He's making runs and getting tired which he doesn't need to do," the coach said of the striker who was taken off at the end of the first half.

The one man that impressed was Jibon, who is finding his feet in his new position. Often proving to be a wasteful centre-forward previously, Jibon has been far more effective when playing behind the striker. The Abahani forward gave the credit to his club coach Mario Lemos.

"This is only the second time I played in this position in the national team, but I play there regularly for Abahani. When playing behind the striker, you get more of the ball," Jibon said.

Day, too, was of the opinion that he can get the best out of Jibon behind the striker, but in the absence of a genuine centre-forward, he is often forced to employ the Abahani forward as a No. 9.

While the dilemma regarding the attacking third showed signs of solutions, there were question marks over the midfield, which looked increasingly tired and lacking in cohesion as the game progressed. The coach made substitutions, but things hardly changed. He is missing two key players -- Mamunul Islam, who was injured recently, and Mashuk Mia Johnny, who is recovering from a long-term injury. Atikur Rahman Fahad, another midfielder, was rusty when he made his first appearance in two years.

"We've not played for eight months and Fahad has not played for two years. He's going to be rusty, he's going take time. Some players get back to fitness quicker than other players, some players adapt into the game," the coach said when asked about the performance of his midfield.

Debutant goalkeeper Anisur Rahman and the line of defence, according to the coach, did a good job. Although they did not face too much of a challenge, they will certainly be tested a great deal when taking on Qatar in Doha next month.