Bangladesh midfielder Hamza Choudhury believes the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup presents a “big opportunity” for the men in red and green to test themselves against higher-ranked opponents and gain valuable experience.
Bangladesh began their ASEAN Cup campaign against Malaysia at Jakarta’s Gelora Bung Karno Stadium on Friday, with Singapore and hosts Indonesia awaiting them in their remaining Group A fixtures at the same venue.
Bangladesh are one of the guest teams taking part in the inaugural regional tournament, giving the South Asian side the opportunity to compete against some of Southeast Asia’s established football nations.
All three of Bangladesh’s opponents are ranked higher than them in the FIFA rankings, but Hamza said that only added to the significance of the tournament for his side.
“We're very excited to be included in this tournament. For us, it's obviously a big opportunity to play against teams that are ranked higher than us,” Hamza said.
“For us, I think internally, it's to get as many points as we can. We're not here to fear anyone. We know what we're capable of.”
The tournament also provides head coach Thomas Dooley with an opportunity to assess his squad against stronger opposition as Bangladesh continue to develop their team.
Dooley named a 23-member squad for the competition, with England-based forward Farhaan Ali Wahid, midfielder Zidane Yousuf and Japan-based Shuki Itofusa among those included, according to reports.
Farhaan’s inclusion has attracted particular attention as Bangladesh look to find greater consistency in front of goal. The forward currently plays for Boreham Wood on loan from Fulham Under-21s, and Dooley has spoken highly of his finishing ability.
“What I love about this guy [Farhan Ali Wahid] is that he knows how to finish. That's perfect,” Dooley recently told reporters.
“So, if he's coming, I really want to see him in front of the goal, making those moves and hitting the ball on target, what a lot of the players don't do.”
With new faces and established players combining in the squad, Hamza believes the tournament can provide valuable lessons for Bangladesh as they seek to compete more consistently against higher-ranked teams.
“But, inshallah, it's a learning curve for us and we're here to gain as much experience as we can and hopefully make our country proud,” he added.
Hamza, who is making his first visit to Indonesia, has also spoken positively about the reception and facilities ahead of the tournament.
“It's just like I expected, to be honest. Very friendly people, very kind people,” he said.
“Football's massive here and facilities have been very good. So yeah, I'm looking forward to playing on Friday and we'll see how we go.”
