Bangladesh Want to Welcome Hamza by Beating Bhutan, SAFF Opener on Thursday

Bangladesh are set to begin their SAFF Championship mission at home with a dream of ending a long 23-year title drought. The hosts will face Bhutan in the tournament's opening match on Thursday (5 November). Captain Topu Barman wants to take a win from that match to welcome one of the team's biggest stars, Hamza Chowdhury.

Bangladesh head coach Thomas Dooley and captain Topu Barman spoke about their expectations and preparations at a press conference at a five-star hotel in Dhaka on Wednesday (4 November), ahead of the SAFF Championship opening match.

Coach Thomas Dooley believes that if they can play to their ability, winning the title this time is not impossible for Bangladesh.

Topu Barman's presence at the press conference instead of Jamal Bhuyan was also discussed. Dooley said that under him, both Topu and Jamal served as captain in a friendly match in Italy, so he sees nothing new in Topu's captaincy.

Explaining why Topu was chosen as captain, Dooley said a centre-back's leadership is important in keeping the defence organised and directing teammates on the field. Topu is a leader of the team and respected by his teammates. But the coach also believes the captain's armband is not the only mark of leadership. In his view, a player like Hamza Chowdhury can lead on the field even without the armband.

Dooley also spoke at the press conference about the 23-year title drought. Bangladesh, who last won the SAFF title in 2003, now have a chance to reclaim the trophy at home. According to the coach, while the long wait creates pressure, this time's preparation and the team's confidence will help them deal with it.

Dooley said, 'With the preparation we have taken, we have confidence to do well. We want to win this tournament. We will fight from the first second to the last second against the opponents. We will play football and try to win matches.'

As hosts, Bangladesh are being considered favourites. Supporters' expectations, the federation's target and media discussion have all added extra pressure on the team. Dooley, however, sees that pressure positively. He believes the support of around 25,000 spectators at home will give the players extra inspiration.

Captain Topu Barman's voice also carried confidence. Calling the first match extremely important for the tournament, he said Bangladesh will take the field aiming to win. Besides giving the country's people good football, they want to show a confident team performance.

However, one of the team's biggest stars, Hamza Chowdhury, will not be in Bangladesh's eleven for the first match. Due to club football commitments, he is scheduled to join the national team on 9 November. Topu admitted Bangladesh will miss Hamza against Bhutan.

But the Bangladesh captain does not want to treat Hamza's absence as an excuse. Instead, the team's plan is to welcome him with a win. Topu said, 'Leadership like his is very much needed in our team. The way he guides us is something special. We knew we would not get him in the first match because of the schedule. So our job is to make the path easier for him. And that means the result. We want to beat Bhutan, so that he can join the team in a good and cheerful spirit.'

This year's Techno SAFF Championship 2026 is the 15th edition of South Asian football. The competition has returned to Bangladesh after eight years; SAFF was last held in Bangladesh in 2018. Six teams are competing in two groups this time. In Group 'A', Bangladesh's opponents are Bhutan and Sri Lanka. Group 'B' has India, the Maldives and Pakistan.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals. The last-four matches will be held on 14 November and the final on 17 November. All matches will be played at the National Stadium in Dhaka.

Bangladesh therefore have little room for error from the start. The team want to beat Bhutan and face Sri Lanka with confidence. After that, with Hamza joining, Bangladesh dream of moving towards the title with a full-strength side.