Andrew Ord, the national team’s coach began his preparation for the SAFF Championship with a bitter experience when the national team suffered a massive 4-0 defeat to Abahani Limited in their first preparation match at Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Pratisthan (BKSP) yesterday.

Sunday struck twice while Nabib Newaz Jibon and Emeka Darlington added one goal each. The national team despite earned two penalties could not convert any of them.

The 4-0 defeat to the league champions Abahani, is certainly an awake up call for the English coach Andrew Ord ahead of his mission of preparation matches and the FIFA friendly match.     

But for Abahani Limited it was a very good fine-tuning ahead of their AFC Cup campaign as Saiful Bari Titu, coach of Abahani said, “Ahead of the AFC Cup we have good match.” Abahani will play their first match on March 7 in home ground and away match in Male against the New Radiant Club of Maldives on March 14.

Pranotosh, one of the senior booter of Abahani and also the former national player said, “Actually most of the players are very young and lack of experiences as they conceded goals and difficult to managed the foreign strikers who have better physical advantage.”

“I hope everything will be okay after joining some of the senior players from Abahani. The young players who are in the team have good speed and skills, after having long time training will improved a lot,” said Prantosh.

Meanwhile, targeting the SAFF Championship to be held in September at home ground Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) chalked out a seven months plan with the national team’s preparation, which began from February 13 with the residential camp at BKSP.  

BFF, in their seven months planning set programmes in home and abroad when the national team will travel in Qatar, Thailand and Laos to play preparation matches and to have some training sessions in higher atmosphere and better facilities.

Bangladesh team scheduled to have a training camp in Qatar from March 1 to 14 when the team planned to leave for Doha tomorrow, but during their 14/15 days training camp, the opponents of preparation matches yet to be decided.

While BFF requested the Qatar Football Federation Association (QFA) to play the preparation two matches either with their national side or the Under-23 and Under-20 national teams but they (BFF) will have to wait for the decision from the QFA.

The team will return home on March 14 and scheduled to go Thailand on March 19 and will play two matches in Bangkok, the first match was set for March 21 with Ratchaburi Mitr Phol Football Club, a Thai professional football club based in Ratchaburi Province and currently plays in Thai League 1, and the second one on March 23 against Bangkok Glass Football Club, is also a Thai professional football club based in Pathum Thani Province.

However, the team will play a FIFA Friendly match against Laos on March 27 against the hosts when they will travel to Laos on March 25 from Thailand.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh will play in the Asian Games to be held in Indonesia from August 18 to September 2 and the SAFF Championship will also take place in September.