Many football lovers may have been peeved while some were left disheartened when the Dutch coach left the country with his acolytes to play the Saff football meet in Nepal without airing any specific goal; however, those with their feet on the ground can understand why the coach decided to be reticent and play safe.
The fact that national team coach Lodewijk de Kruif brought down expectations is perhaps an indication of his understanding as to how developed other South Asian teams have become in recent times.
Come to think of it, there was a time when a Bangladesh national football team participating in the regional meet could express strong confidence of moving to the final, but now, passing the first hurdle seems to be more headache inducing than anything else. And in the inaugural match against Nepal, the hosts won 2-0 on Saturday, putting us bottom of the table.
No one is even dreaming of the finals! If Bangladesh can move to the semis from a group which has India, the regional powerhouse and the host Nepal, many would consider that as “the” achievement for the national team.
It breaks this writer’s heart to see the condition of our football falling to reachsuch a stage. This is not to denigrate talented footballers from the Himalayan state. Hats off to them for turning into a tough outfit but when we regard the game against Nepal as an acid test, the much talked about vision 2022 sounds not only ludicrous but a hope devoid of any common sense.
The fact is that even before the match against Nepal, Bangladesh had an uphill task to secure the South Asian regional football crown.
South Asia may be the weakest region as far as Asian football is concerned but since all teams have the same standard now, asserting solid superiority requires more than just a few months training. In this meet, India is the favourite to win though they cannot claim with certainty that the trophy will be theirs.
Let’s not forget, a few years ago a full Indian side, captained by Baichung Bhutia, lost to the tiny island nation Maldives in the finals. The point here is the improvement by other South Asian football nations, which has seen most teams that were previously drubbed by both Bangladesh and India, have improve significantly sice quite some time time ago.
While India realised this a decade back, we have struggled to raise our quality and remained stagnant. No wonder, once touted minnows like Maldives and Afghanistan can give us a run for the money on their home soil or in a neutral venue.
Also, let’s understand one other thing: unless a team can secure the top South Asian spot three times in a row, breaking into the next level will be impossible. By “next level” we mean the third tier of Asian football played by Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam.
Once a team manages to break out from the regional level to reach a step higher, only then will the question arise about securing a position among second tier teams from central Asia and lower ranked middle-eastern nations like Oman, Jordan, Yemen and Kuwait.
The message is clear: the way up to the top may not be impossible but definitely does not seem within the reach of Bangladesh in the next ten years.
Therefore, our approach has to be practical, which means regaining lost pride in the region first.
If the coach did not air any hopes then perhaps he did the right thing, being placed in a group of death, our chances of advancing are actually slim.
Again, it’s not impossible either. When Bangladesh first won the regional meet in 1999 under Iraqi coach Sameer Shakir, the first game was lost to Maldives. That shock transformed into sensational victories later on with wins against both India and Nepal.
Anyway, let’s not use past records to define the present tournament. In an era when winning a football trophy is hard for any nation, supremacy among eight countries is, without doubt, a laurel worth fighting for.
As far as global football is concerned, Saff will not have any mention whatsoever other than a fleeting coverage of the finals by international news channels. Meanwhile, for the eight countries involved, this tournament is akin to the World Cup.
Most football fans who hope with their heads not hearts, will not expect Bangladesh in the finals because they understand that modern football is not about miracles – it’s about a strategic approach beginning from grass root levels.
Yet, cynicisms aside, in the deepest corner of our hearts, we do harbour a desire to come back with a trophy. Odds are against this. Still, we fans believe supernatural forces will intervene on our behalf.
Just for the sake of keeping football alive in Bangladesh, players and coaches will be relying on the months of relentless training that went into preparing the national squad.
Then again, all of them and the nation will also look up, appealing for some divine intervention. God! Just for the sake of reviving the game, help us win it!