Bangladesh will kick off their campaign in the SAFF Under-20 football championship with high hopes of lifting the trophy when they face Sri Lanka at ANFA Ground, Kathmandu today (Tuesday).
The three-time runners-up and finalists of the last edition, Bangladesh are among the favourites for the tournament. Team head coach AKM Maruful Haque, speaking at a press conference in Kathmandu on Monday, stated that their mission is to become champions.
"Before departing for the tournament, I said we wanted to reach the final and win the title," Maruful told the media. "Our team played in the final last year. I've been with the boys for the past two weeks and I'm pleased with their commitment, hard work, and dedication. I think we're on the right track."
"Tomorrow is our first match against Sri Lanka, and we're looking forward to making a winning start. We've analysed Sri Lanka's performance against Nepal and identified their strengths and weaknesses. We've worked on these areas and developed our plans and strategies," Maruful added.
"The first match is always crucial because we want to reach the final or win the trophy, so we aim to start with a victory."
Mehedi Hassan Srabon, captain of the Bangladesh team, echoed his coach's sentiments, saying, "We want to make a winning start to complete half of our mission, as our expectations are high. However, we cannot underestimate Sri Lanka."
