Bangladesh will launch their SAFF Championship campaign with renewed hopes of ending a 23-year trophy drought when they take on Bhutan in their opening match at the National Stadium in Dhaka on Thursday.
Since winning their maiden title in 2003, Bangladesh have struggled to make an impact in the regional tournament, reaching the final only once, in 2005, before enduring a series of disappointing campaigns.
The hosts will be eager to turn the page this time, with an opportunity to lift the trophy on home soil for the first time in eight years.
The match against Bhutan will kick off at 8pm, following the tournament's opening fixture between defending champions India and Pakistan at the same venue at 3:30pm.
Bangladesh head coach Thomas Dooley will, however, be without talismanic midfielder Hamza Choudhury for the opening match, as his availability does not align with the FIFA international window.
Hamza is expected to join the squad later and will be available for Bangladesh's second group match against Sri Lanka.
Despite the absence of their star midfielder, Dooley expressed confidence in his team's preparation and ability to compete for the title.
“We are excited about that. We are looking forward to the first game and we had some ups and downs obviously in the preparation since May but so far I'm pretty happy with everything,” Dooley said ahead of the opener.
The German-American coach believes Bangladesh have the confidence and determination to end their long wait for the regional crown.
“The 23 years is on one hand, the pressure wasn't the last 23 years maybe bigger than it is now because for us it's like a situation where we're preparing. We have confidence that we can do well and we're trying to win this,” he said.
“It's going with hard work and with playing with confidence and playing and fighting until the last minute. So that's why we believe it's going to happen this year and have that confidence and bring that on the field.
“We want to show everyone out there how much that means to us. So we play 11 against 11 and we fight from the first second to the last second.”
Bangladesh captain Topu Barman also acknowledged the significance of playing the tournament in front of the home crowd, saying the team were determined to make the most of the opportunity.
“It is very important for us and after eight years, SAFF is coming at our home. We are ready and obviously it is going to be not an easy thing. I hope we will do better,” Topu said.
“We have a good chance after 23 years and we don't want to miss this.”
Bhutan, meanwhile, will enter the contest with less preparation time than the hosts, but head coach Garry Phillips insisted his side were confident ahead of the opener.
“We've had a staggered preparation. We haven't had the preparation that other teams have had, like Bangladesh, but we go into this competition with confidence,” Phillips said.
“It's always very difficult against any host team. And obviously playing against a host nation, it adds pressure to everyone.”
Phillips also pointed out that the tournament provides an opportunity for regional teams to develop their players, revealing that Bhutan had experimented with several young players during their preparations.
“Having said that, it's not an AFC or World Cup qualifying tournament, it's an opportunity for local nations to play each other and we have experimented with many young players.”
Defending champions India, meanwhile, have opted against sending their first-choice squad to the tournament because of two FIFA international friendlies against New Zealand during the same window.
India head coach Naushad Moosa said his young team were not concerned about defending the title, instead focusing on playing good football and gaining valuable experience.
With Bangladesh enjoying home advantage and carrying the expectations of a passionate crowd, the opening encounter against Bhutan will offer an early indication of whether Dooley's men can make a serious push for the title and finally end their long wait for SAFF glory.
Today’s Matches
Pakistan v India 3.30PM
Bangladesh v Bhutan 8PM
Live on T Sports and Bongo