DHAKA, Oct 11, 2023 (BSS)- Bangladesh will take on host Maldives in the first

leg of their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier scheduled to be held tomorrow
(Thursday) at the National Stadium in Ml

The match kicks off at 5 pm (BST).

The team that wins the first match of the two legs will advance in the race
for the World Cup qualifiers.

Addressing the pre match press conference held today (Wednesday) in Male,
Bangladesh coach Javier Cabrera said they are focusing the match with utmost
importance and attention.

Bangladesh have been playing great football in recent times under this
Spanish coach, especially Bangladesh confirmed the semi by defeating Maldives
in SAFF Championship. Coach Javier however does not want to be complacent
about that result.

He said they are very much aware about their opponents how much they can
afford. Cabrera said they respect Maldives and at the same time they are
cautious as well.

The Spanish coach firmly said they want to move forward by winning the match.

Bangladesh's recent performance under this coach is lauded everywhere but the
thing is that Bangladesh have no previous record of win against the hosts in
Male.

The coach of Bangladesh however does not bother about it and is focusing the
Thursday's match.

Bangladesh and Maldives have clashed on sixteen occasions in the past.
Bangladesh have a slightly better record with seven wins to their name while
Maldives were victorious in six previous games. Their most recent meeting
came in June 2023 when Bangladesh claimed a 3-1 victory in the SAFF
Championship.

Bangladesh earlier shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw with Afghanistan in a
friendly match in the last international window.

The Bangladesh team completed their training session today afternoon at the
match venue.

Bangladesh will play their second leg against the Maldives on October 17 at
Bashundhara Kings Arena in Dhaka.