Bangladesh’s small comforts and a wasted opportunity

Following Bangladesh's 1-1 draw against Hong Kong in a crucial away fixture of the Asian Cup Qualifiers on Tuesday, both coach Javier Cabrera and goalscorer Rakib Hossain rued the fact that they failed to get at least four points from the two matches against Hong Kong, which would have still kept them in the hunt for qualification.

However, the players and the team management's body language throughout this campaign, which has fallen way short of expectation, says otherwise regarding their desire and desperation.

The men in red and green entered the packed Kai Tak Stadium knowing full well that anything less than victory could all but end their Asian Cup dreams. Yet, despite the high stakes, they found themselves trailing until the 84th minute, when Rakib's late strike salvaged a point against the 10-man hosts.

Rakib's goal triggered wild celebrations -- he leapt onto the advertising boards, with teammates piling in as if Bangladesh had sealed a famous win. The harsh reality, however, was that the draw did little to alter their precarious position; elimination still loomed large, and precious minutes ticked away.

Instead of pushing urgently for a campaign-saving winner, Bangladesh slipped back into their habitual slow, cautious build-up play, showing little urgency or belief. It appeared that the players were content -- perhaps even proud -- to have snatched a point away from home against a higher-ranked side.

But that sense of satisfaction only underlined a deeper problem: a small-minded comfort in mediocrity. It was as though the team had learned nothing from their previous encounter against the same opponent in Dhaka, where a euphoric celebration after Shamit Shome's 99th-minute equaliser -- joined enthusiastically by coach Javier Cabrera and his entire bench -- was followed almost immediately by Hong Kong's 101st-minute winner.

After that home defeat, veteran centre-back Topu Barman had lamented that Bangladesh should have slowed the game to preserve the draw. Ironically, in Hong Kong, the team seemed to take that advice too literally -- showing little urgency and playing as if a draw was a result worth protecting rather than overcoming.

Adding to the controversy, defender Saad Uddin -- heavily criticised over his performances -- took to social media after the match to post about his importance to the national team. The timing and tone of the post only reinforced the perception of misplaced priorities and fragile egos within the squad.

These incidents speak volumes about a mentality problem -- one not limited to the players, but shared by the management as well. There appears to be an ingrained culture of taking comfort in minimal progress, of celebrating the smallest of achievements while losing sight of the bigger picture.

And that bigger picture could not have been clearer. Bangladesh were handed a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reach the Asian Cup finals for the first time since 1980. Drawn in Group C alongside India, Hong Kong and Singapore -- in an expanded 24-team tournament -- Cabrera and his players had every reason to believe qualification was within reach.

Even the head coach himself had fuelled optimism before the campaign, repeatedly claiming that all four teams were closely matched and that Bangladesh had a realistic chance of topping the group. On paper, he was not wrong. India, the group's top seeds and five-time Asian Cuppers, entered the qualifiers low on confidence, while Hong Kong and Singapore were hardly invincible. Bangladesh and Singapore had each appeared only once in the Asian Cup -- in 1980 and 1984 respectively -- while Hong Kong had never qualified.

Yet when the time came for boldness, Cabrera chose caution. His starting XI on Tuesday featured three centre-backs and two wing-backs -- a defensive setup hardly suited to a must-win match. This was typical Cabrera football: contain the opposition for two-thirds of the game, then send on young, energetic legs to chase a late goal. It worked partially this time -- Rakib's equaliser was the fruit of that late burst -- but more often than not, this conservative playbook has come up short.

In the end, Bangladesh's campaign was undone not merely by technical limitations, but by a mindset content with "good enough." Cabrera's defensive philosophy and the players' muted ambition combined to waste a golden opportunity -- one that may not come again soon.