Bangladesh footballers head to Nepal for double action this September. The national team faces their neighbors twice at Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu. Officials from Nepal's football association made the announcement Monday. These friendlies happen on September 6 and 9 during the FIFA break. Both countries want to sharpen their skills before bigger competitions.
The Tigers currently sit at spot 183 on the world rankings. Nepal holds position 175 which makes them slightly better on paper. Bangladesh needs these warm-up games before their crucial qualifier against Hong Kong. The Hong Kong showdown takes place October 9 at home in Dhaka. Group C standings show Bangladesh in third place for Asian Cup qualifying.
Recent form shows mixed results for the national squad. They managed a scoreless tie with India back in March at Shillong. Singapore beat them 2-1 during a June match in Dhaka. The team wants better results heading into the important qualifier. These Nepal games give them chances to improve their attack and defense.
Bangladesh federation leaders wanted matches against European opponents originally. They hoped playing stronger teams would boost preparation levels. The Nepal friendlies became the backup plan for September training. Past meetings between these teams show close competition. Bangladesh won just one game out of their last five encounters with Nepal.
The Tigers currently sit at spot 183 on the world rankings. Nepal holds position 175 which makes them slightly better on paper. Bangladesh needs these warm-up games before their crucial qualifier against Hong Kong. The Hong Kong showdown takes place October 9 at home in Dhaka. Group C standings show Bangladesh in third place for Asian Cup qualifying.
Recent form shows mixed results for the national squad. They managed a scoreless tie with India back in March at Shillong. Singapore beat them 2-1 during a June match in Dhaka. The team wants better results heading into the important qualifier. These Nepal games give them chances to improve their attack and defense.
Bangladesh federation leaders wanted matches against European opponents originally. They hoped playing stronger teams would boost preparation levels. The Nepal friendlies became the backup plan for September training. Past meetings between these teams show close competition. Bangladesh won just one game out of their last five encounters with Nepal.
