Thinley Namgay
Bhutan’s senior national men’s football team will face Bangladesh today in a FIFA friendly match at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu. The match kicks off at 6pm.
The last encounter between the two teams was on June 28, 2023, during the SAFF Championship in Bangalore, India, where Bhutan lost 3-1 despite dominating the game with 55 percent ball possession.
Today’s game is the first of the two friendlies scheduled at the Changlimithang Stadium, with the second match set for September 8.
Bhutan has historically struggled against Bangladesh, clinching just one win and two draws in 16 encounters.
Bangladesh has scored 40 goals in these matchups compared to Bhutan’s seven, giving the visitors a 33-goal lead.
Despite this, Bhutan holds a slight edge in the latest FIFA rankings, standing 182nd while Bangladesh is 184th out of more than 190 countries.
In recent form, Bhutan has fared better, winning two of its last five matches, including victories against Hong Kong (2-0) and Macau (1-0), while Bangladesh has lost all five.
Bhutanese Head Coach Atsushi Nakamura, who joined the team last month, is yet to reveal his squad. At yesterday’s pre-match conference, he said that 23 players were selected based on their performances in the Bhutan Premier League and the Under-20 SAFF Championship in Nepal.
“I know that the opponent is strong, but I want my boys to play confidently with good motivation,” he said, adding that local favourite striker Chencho Gyeltshen will not feature in the team for these two games.
“I would love to include Chencho for the two games, but now is also the time to train some young strikers who can play at Chencho’s level,” Atsushi Nakamura said.
Team Captain Nima Wangdi highlighted the advantages of playing at home and the favourable weather conditions. However, he acknowledged that the team’s preparation has been hampered by the ongoing Bhutan Premier League, which has limited their training time together.
He said that Bhutan has secured its place in the third round of the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers for the 2027 tournament in Saudi Arabia, and the FIFA Friendly matches provide a good platform for the team to gain international exposure and learn new tactics.
Bangladesh Coach Javier Cabrera from Spain said that the level of Bhutanese football has improved significantly and the two matches would be challenging for his team.
He added that motivation among Bhutanese players is high, and added that the recent performance of Bhutan’s Under-20 team at the SAFF Championship in Nepal was commendable.
The skipper of Bangladesh, Jamal Bhuyan, applauded Bhutan for its winning mentality, skills, and good game tactics. “Bangladesh played only a few international matches this year and we expect the matches to be competitive.”