‘Excitement over if Argentina not in title race’

Anisur Rahman Zico, the first-choice goalkeeper of Bangladesh football team as well as Bashundhara Kings, has been managing time to watch matches of the Qatar World Cup amid his club side's involvement in the ongoing Independence Cup. The 25-year-old goalkeeper talked to the Daily Star's Anisur Rahman about the ongoing showpiece event among other things.  
 

The Daily Star (DS): How do you see the craze of the FIFA World Cup as a footballer?

Anisur Rahman Zico (ARZ): Even though some good teams were eliminated from the qualifying round, the excitement is the same for everyone all over the world as the World Cup arrives every four years. Fans in our country, not only the Brazil and Argentina ones but the fans from Germany and other nations as well, remain excited to watch and enjoy the World Cup matches for nearly one month. I think the World Cup means a festival in Bangladesh. 

DS: How has the World Cup celebration changed from your childhood days to present?

ARZ: I started watching the World Cup from 2002, but I started understanding it from 2006. During my childhood, there was hardly any good arrangement to watch the World Cup, with fear of power cut during the match time, but I always remained excited to watch it with my friends and family members. This time around, though I can't even watch all the World Cup matches due to my professional commitment at the club level. I'd say, watching the World Cup during childhood was much more exciting. 

DS: How is the environment at the club when you watch a game together?

ARZ: We really enjoy watching the World Cup matches together at the club tent, all footballers gather under one roof when a match features either Brazil or Argentina. Except for the Brazil or Argentina match, we watch the World Cup matches in small groups at the club but the excitement reaches a peak when Brazil or Argentina play. We tend to engage in banter to enjoy ourselves fully.    

DS: How do you evaluate the ongoing World Cup till present? Who are now favourites?

ARZ: A lot of changes have come in football due to the involvement of technologies, so every team know their opponents' details -- including technique, tactic, weakness, strength, and many other things. From the start I predicted Brazil and Argentina as favourites but what happened in the World Cup till date, I think it is going to be a World Cup of upsets with no clear favourites.

Look, Japan beat Germany, Saudi Arabia beat Argentina and Morocco held Croatia, so it is really tough to predict who is eventually going to be the champion.     

DS: How has the performance of goalkeepers been so far?

ARZ: At a big stage like the World Cup, teams will have better chances to win if their goalkeepers make some good saves during the match. Saudi Arabia won their match because of their goalkeeper who was even adjudged the player-of-the-match, and so was Japan's goalkeeper.

I think the goalkeepers of minnows are really performing well. I think if Iran had their number one goalkeeper in the match, then they would not have conceded so many goals against England.   

DS: How did you start supporting Brazil, who do you think will go far in the World Cup?

ARZ: I first watched the 2002 World Cup, during which I was much enthralled with the performance and dribbling of Brazilian players like Ronaldinho, Kaka, Ronaldo, and others. Brazil also became champions in that edition. So, I started supporting Brazil, who won their matches easily.

Despite the upsets in the World Cup so far, I still believe Brazil have good chances to go to the final though they may face a bit of problems with their backline.

DS: Bangladesh is virtually divided into two groups – Brazil and Argentina. How did you take the beginning of Argentina in the World Cup?

ARZ: Initially I felt happy with the defeat of Argentina, but later I felt Argentina should stay in the race. And though we had a lot of fun with Argentina supporters after the defeat, all excitement will be over if there is no Argentina in the title race, and the World Cup will lose its attraction.  

DS: Despite all the passion for football in the country, why is Bangladesh football lagging so far behind?

ARZ: Football is loved globally and likewise in Bangladesh. Our people are not only crazy about Maradona, Pele, Neymar, Messi, Ronaldo but they also support different teams. Unfortunately, we can't qualify for the World Cup because we have not met the necessary standard as we don't have the facilities to go forward.