Booters hit the ground running in Hanoi

Bangladesh wasted little time getting into rhythm in Vietnam, completing an intense training session on Sunday as they stepped up preparations for their upcoming FIFA international friendly against the hosts.

Having arrived in Hanoi earlier in the day following a long journey from Dhaka, the men in red and green trained for around one and a half hours at the Vietnam Youth Training Centre -- their first on-field session since landing.

Despite the travel fatigue, head coach Javier Cabrera expressed satisfaction with how the players responded.

“We had a long journey, but players have recovered very well -- actually, even better than expected. So, today we had a bit of a harder session than what was planned -- short but intense,” Cabrera said after the session.

The session, though brief, focused on key areas such as fitness, ball control, and tactical organisation, with Cabrera revealing that the team had already begun working on plans tailored for the Vietnam clash.

“We could work on some concepts of tactics in regards to the Vietnam game,” he added.

Bangladesh’s preparation window, however, remains tight. The squad had just two training sessions in Dhaka before departure, leaving limited time to fine-tune strategies ahead of the March 26 friendly.

“It has been a very short and tight window. We just got to train just two days in Dhaka, and now here we have three or three and a half training sessions before the match,” Cabrera said.

Still, the Spanish coach remains confident that continuity in the team’s playing philosophy will help bridge the gap.

“But many of the concepts are continuity of what we have been doing for a long time, so, yes, there will be some adjustments, but definitely we should have enough time to be prepared for the match,” he added.

Following the Vietnam friendly, Bangladesh will face Singapore in their final Group C fixture of the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers on March 31.