Bangladesh want to become SAFF champions

Bangladesh football team captain Jamal Bhuiyan has labelled India as the favourites for the Saff Championship 2021, but said they have their own ambitions to go all the way in the tournament.

India will start as overwhelming favourites, having won seven out of the total 12 editions, while Bangladesh have exited the tournament in the group stage in the last four editions. India also have the edge in the Fifa ranking as they are 107th, ahead of Bangladesh at 189th.  Despite the odds stacked against them, Jamal said Bangladesh would look to repeat their solitary triumph in 2003 when they begin their Saff Championship mission against Sri Lanka in Male Friday. "Our target is the Saff Championship trophy. We want to be champions. The players are working hard in training. The players want to give their best. We want to achieve something," said Jamal in a press conference in Dhaka Monday. "We have a good group, we are confident. We want to take it match by match. Of course our target will be to become champions. Hopefully we will be able to achieve our ambitions. Our players know each other well. They have played with each other. I believe this team will be able to show something. "Like us, the coach (Oscar Bruzon) also wants to win the trophy. 

Sri Lanka are our first opponents. They are a strong team. The first match will be a tough one. If one takes a look at the ranking, of course India are the favourites." Bruzon, who is also the head coach of Bashundhara Kings and only appointed as Bangladesh coach on an interim basis, has indicated his charges that he will go with his tried and tested 4-3-3 formation which he used at the Kings with a lot of success. Jamal said they're trying to get used to the new formation and added that the Spanish coach has set defined roles for the players. "Obviously not everything will be done in a day. On the first day of joining the coach said how he wants the team to play. He made it clear. The formation that he gave us, most of the teams in the league plays this way. We're getting accustomed to it," said Jamal.

Final 23-man Bangladesh squad

Jamal Bhuiyan (C), Anisur Rahman Zico, Bishwanath Ghosh, Topu Barman, Kazi Tariq Rahman, Biplu Ahmed, Mahbubur Rahman Sufil, Mohammad Ibrahim, Matin Miah, Atiqur Rahman Fahad, Jewel Rana, Tutul Hossain Badshah, Riyadul Hasan, Rahmat Miah, Yasin Arafat, Shahidul Alam Sohel, Sohel Rana, Saad Uddin, Rejaul Karim, Rakib Hossain, Ashraful Islam Rana, Mohammad Hridoy and Sumon Reza