Bhutan face Bangladesh despite limited preparation, captain Chencho disappointed to miss Hamza

Bangladesh are about to begin their SAFF Championship mission on home soil. Bhutan will start their campaign in this edition with the match against the hosts.

The two teams meet on Thursday (November 5) at the National Stadium in Dhaka. On one side are Bangladesh, dreaming of ending a long 23-year title drought; on the other, Bhutan, ready to spring a surprise despite limited preparation.

At the pre-match press conference, Bhutan head coach Gary M Phillips and captain Chencho Gyeltshen spoke about their preparation, the team's strength and their plan against Bangladesh.

Bhutan are entering the competition with confidence despite a shortage of preparation. Coach Gary M Phillips said his team did not get the chance to prepare adequately like the other teams. As Bhutan's national league was running during the FIFA window, it was difficult to get the players together. The team could not even play any preparation match before the tournament.

Phillips said, 'Our preparation has lost some rhythm. Unfortunately we could not play any match. A few weeks ago I was involved with the under-20 team. As the national league was running during the FIFA window, it was difficult to get the players together. But I got the opportunity to watch the players and pick the best squad. We did not have the kind of preparation other teams like Bangladesh had. Even so, we are entering this competition with confidence.'

Captain Chencho Gyeltshen described the same reality about the team's preparation. After Bhutan's football season ended, there was not much time to prepare for SAFF. In the meantime the new coach had to select the team and build coordination. As a result, several young and new faces have made the squad.

The captain, however, trusts the coach's experience. Chencho said, 'When training began, I was a bit hesitant, because Bhutan's season had just ended and there was not much time to prepare for SAFF. Most of the players are young and new faces. But because of the coach's experience, I am now very confident.'

Chencho's answer on Hamza was also quite positive. Last time he could not play against Bangladesh because of injury. This time the Bhutan captain was waiting to face Hamza Chowdhury as an opponent. But the news that Hamza will not play the first match has disappointed him somewhat.

Chencho said, 'I am not happy that Hamza is not playing. I actually wanted him to play. Everyone knows he is a big star of the SAFF region. Playing against players of his quality gives a lot to learn. We would have liked to play with him. But unfortunately I have heard he is not playing the first match.'

Even though he sees Hamza's absence as an extra advantage, Bhutan are not moving away from their target of winning. The captain wants to win the first match and advance towards the semifinals. In his words, every team aims to become SAFF champion. Bhutan too want to win the first match and stay ahead in the race for a place in the last four.

Bhutan coach Gary Phillips is also wary of hosts Bangladesh. He said playing against the hosts is somewhat pressured for everyone. But this is not the AFC or World Cup qualifiers. It is an opportunity to play against regional teams. There are many young players in our team. It is a good opportunity to watch the newcomers and prepare them for the future. I took charge only a few weeks ago. I am still learning everyone's names. I hope something good will happen.

The presence of origin players is growing in South Asian football. While such players are seen in teams like Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, Bhutan's national team has been built with one hundred percent local footballers. Captain Chencho Gyeltshen is proud of that.

He said, 'World football has changed a lot now. Not only Bangladesh or Sri Lanka, players of various origins are representing countries like Indonesia or Thailand too. But our team is made up of one hundred percent local Bhutanese players. I am extremely proud to represent the national team with one hundred percent local players.'