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Bangladesh midfielder Hamza Choudhury believes the hosts are favourites to win the SAFF Championship as they look to end a 23-year wait for the regional title.
Speaking ahead of Bangladesh’s second group-stage match against Sri Lanka, Hamza expressed confidence in the team’s ability to retain the trophy on home soil, provided they perform to their potential.
“I think we are the favourites,” Hamza said.
Bangladesh will face Sri Lanka at the National Stadium in Dhaka at 8pm on Wednesday (November 11).
The hosts made a winning start to their campaign, beating Bhutan 1-0 in the opening match on November 5. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, drew 2-2 with Bhutan on November 8, making Wednesday’s encounter an important opportunity for Bangladesh to strengthen their position at the top of the group.
Hamza, however, warned against underestimating Sri Lanka, saying the team had improved considerably over the past 12 months.
“Sri Lanka are a very good team. I think they have improved a lot over the last 12 months. But we are improving too. Our confidence has grown after the win against Bhutan. There is more pressure on them because they need to avoid defeat. We are looking forward to the match. Inshallah, we will win,” he said.
The midfielder said winning the SAFF Championship would mean a great deal to the people of Bangladesh, who have been waiting since 2003 to see their team lift the trophy.
He also described representing Bangladesh and receiving the support of its people as a special experience.
“It means a lot to win the SAFF Championship for the people of Bangladesh. We are proud to represent the country. The support and love people show me mean so much. Even when I play in England, Bangladeshi supporters travel there to watch me. It means a lot to my family and me. Inshallah, we can repay their love,” Hamza said.
While confident about Bangladesh’s chances, he stressed that winning the tournament would require a collective effort rather than individual brilliance.
Addressing concerns over Bangladesh’s failure to convert scoring opportunities in recent matches, particularly against Malaysia, Hamza said he was not worried as long as the team continued creating chances.
“I would be worried if we were not creating chances. But we are creating them. I could have scored myself against Malaysia. Now we need to turn those opportunities into goals. Inshallah, we will do that,” he said.
Hamza also expressed optimism about the team’s attacking options, including Farhan Ali Wahid and Morsalin, saying regular training and match experience would help improve their confidence in front of goal.
Although primarily a midfielder, Hamza often contributes to both defensive and attacking duties. He acknowledged that he sometimes tries to take on too much responsibility to help the team but said he trusted his teammates’ abilities.
“We have good players in both attack and defence. We need to complement each other. We do not get much time together in international football, but gradually we are moving forward with the same plan,” he added.
Hamza also said he would be willing to take on the captaincy if the coach offered him the responsibility, while acknowledging that several teammates had greater international experience.
He further noted that the growing enthusiasm for football in Bangladesh was encouraging, adding that players such as Shamit Shome, Jamal Bhuiyan, Farhan Ali Wahid and Fahmidul Islam were also contributing to the renewed interest in the national team.
Hamza said the players now had a responsibility to translate supporters’ enthusiasm into results on the pitch.
“Supporters spend a lot of money and time to watch us play. It is now our responsibility to repay their love by winning matches. The next step is to win the tournament,” he said.
