Bangladesh national football team head coach Thomas Duly said the current side has the ability to surprise any opponent if its players are fully fit. Speaking to the media on Saturday, he said the team had shown how much it had changed during the latest Asian Cup qualifiers. Duly said playing in the ASEAN Cup before the SAFF tournament would provide useful preparation for Bangladesh.

He said Bangladesh would be underdogs in the ASEAN Cup, where the team could face strong opponents including Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia. According to Duly, opponents would carry the pressure of proving themselves, while Bangladesh’s aim would be to fight on the field. He said victories in ASEAN Cup matches would be harder than in home fixtures, though home matches can help build confidence for difficult contests.

Bangladesh’s participation in the ASEAN Cup has not yet been finalized, but the team would get the chance to play four matches if it takes part. Duly identified fitness shortages as the main obstacle, saying international football requires four weeks of pre-season fitness training and five or six matches. If Bangladesh cannot play in the ASEAN Cup during the upcoming FIFA window, it may play a tournament at home or in Kyrgyzstan.