The Bangladesh National Football Team have no alternative to winning. This must be the motto of Jamal Bhuiyan and Co against India in their second-leg match of the joint qualifiers round two for FIFA World Cup 2022 and AFC Asian Cup 2023 at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, Qatar at 8:00 pm on Today.
The men in red and green played six matches and could not cash full three points from any encounter. Jamie Day and Co bagged only two pints from six outings with two draws. Meanwhile, India earned three points from the same number of outings with three draws. The Blue Tigers lost to hosts Qatar 0-1 on Thursday at the same venue.
The 184th-ranked Bangladesh will be appeared on the field with an expectation to win over India and wish to secure full three points against the 105th-ranked India in their seventh qualifier match. Both teams are in out from the main race. However, Bangladesh and India always archrivals, so, it would be toughest game for the two teams.
The men in red and green is now at the bottom of Group E, having registered just two points out of their six outings, which also includes a draw against India in the first leg that was held at the Salt lake Stadium on October 15, 2019. However, the side cannot expect their neighbours to play with a laid-back attitude as the scenario is quite different now, compared to the last time these two nations met.
The 1-1 draw against Afghanistan on Thursday would boost their confidence somewhat, especially with them succumbing to a 0-1 loss in the first leg encounter. With a handful of experienced players in their ranks, Coach Jamie Day is relying on the youngsters to give India a tough time on the pitch, even though a positive result is unlikely.
Meanwhile, Indian football team captain Sunil Chhetri thinks that the match against Bangladesh will be very tough one. “The men in Red and Green have a good forward and they score any time. It is our prestigious match,” said Sunil.
Historically, India have been a class apart from Bangladesh, with their last defeat at the hands of their archrivals coming way back in 1999. However, the vulnerability shown by the Blue Tigers in the previous encounter at home in front of a packed Salt Lake Stadium might not evoke happy memories. Sloppy defending, lack of teeth on the attacking front against a semi-organized defence, all summed up to the 1-1 result, with India saving the blushes with a late header from Adil Khan. This time around, the seriousness is astronomical; anything less than a win would be unpardonable. These two teams played 29 matches so far. The men in red and green won only two encounters while The Blue Tigers secured 15 win. Rest of the proceedings became draw.
