BD U23 geared up ahead of Nepal friendly

Kathmandu, July 11: The Bangladesh U23 men, set to play in the AFC Championship Qualifiers later this month, are set to play their first friendly match against their Nepalese counterparts at Lalitpur near Kathmandu.

Already in Nepal, the team had another productive session yesterday. It started with passing and finishing exercises. These sessions, including their 3-day camp in Qatar, will be crucial preparation leading up to the qualifiers that also double as Olympic qualifiers.

The team then moved on to 11 vs 11 possession game pressing into the attacking zone using a half of the field at ANFA Complex Astroturf. The session ended with different offence and defence techniques in set pieces.

Before the game in the afternoon, head coach Andrew Ord discussed strategies with the team showing them video footage of their game against Abahani. The footage was used to show the players their mistakes that should come in handy during the match against the Nepal U23 scheduled to kick off at 3:30 pm (Bangladesh time).

Ord, the national coach in charge of the U23 squad said there were a few minor ‘niggles’ with the day’s squad.

Andrew Ord said after the team meeting that some of the players, including Zoni and Shushanto were being rested for the match against Qatar.

He said six players would get the 90 minutes of play while Hemanta, Jewel and Toklis will continue to build their fitness with less time in the field.

Ord said today’s match would give an indication of how his wards will perform and where they stand. “I am looking forward to seeing how team plays in unfamiliar conditions.”

Captain Sohel Rana said his boys were looking to play an attractive brand of football today, and win against Nepal U23. “It will certainly boost our confidence for the upcoming matches.”

The experienced campaigner said the team was trying to follow every bit of guidance that Ord was giving them. “That is only how we might get good results for the team and the country proud.”