‘Hamza’s influence was huge’

Bangladesh head coach Javier Cabrera expressed satisfaction with his team’s goalless draw against India in the Asian Cup qualifiers in Shillong yesterday, hailing debutant Hamza Choudhury as the standout performer.

Reflecting on the match, Cabrera felt Bangladesh could have taken the lead in the first half but he remained upbeat despite missed chances.

“There were 4-5 clear chances we had. But unfortunately, we could not take those. However, we have to stay positive that we created this many chances against India away from home. India is the strongest team in the group. But we have to believe that we are contenders to qualify for the Asian Cup; that is what we have to believe now,” said the 40-year-old Spaniard.

English Premier League-bred Hamza’s much-anticipated debut for Bangladesh had naturally generated significant excitement, and the 27-year-old defensive midfielder made his presence felt in the high-voltage encounter. Cabrera praised Hamza’s influence, highlighting his composure and intelligence on the field.

“More than his quality as a player, his quality as a team player and as a person is what gives confidence to the rest of the team… We have never felt at any moment that we were not on par with India. We even felt that we could have won the game. And for me, someone watching the game from outside, I felt Hamza’s influence was huge,” Cabrera said.

“Having him play next to you makes you more confident and feel safe… Sometimes he drops in between the centre-backs — he has that quality to make such decisions.”

With Hamza in the squad, Cabrera believes Bangladesh have grown stronger and must build on their performance, step by step.

“From the moment we saw the group, we realised that we would have to battle till the end… I think the team have taken two more steps forward. Now, we have to go ahead step by step. But we need to become very strong at home — we have been very strong at home from before we had Hamza. Now, with Hamza, the way he played and the mentality we had today [yesterday], we should target winning the next game against Singapore,” Cabrera said.

Despite the positive outlook, Cabrera acknowledged Bangladesh’s struggles in front of goal. “We need to be more clinical… If we want to win, we have to improve our finishing. Singapore, Hong Kong, and India are all similar in quality, so converting our chances will be key.”

Addressing the exclusion of Jamal Bhuiyan from the starting eleven, Cabrera explained it was a tactical decision. “His personality and quality as a captain — even though Jamal did not play, he is crucial for us. But as we needed more strength and physicality, we decided to put [Sohel] Rana in that position.”

With their home clash against Singapore approaching on June 10, Cabrera remains focused on sharpening the team’s attacking edge while preserving the defensive resilience that ensured a clean sheet against India.