The Bangladesh national football team scored more than 12 goals in a match on Thursday. At first glance, this might seem like an extraordinary feat, a reason to celebrate the team's attacking prowess -- especially since Bangladesh are not known for scoring heavily at the international level.

However, when placed in context, it raises concerns about the Bangladesh Football Federation's (BFF) planning and vision.

With an eye on their upcoming Asian Cup Qualifiers opener against a strong Indian side on March 25, the national team is currently undergoing a training camp in Taif, Saudi Arabia. As part of their preparations, Bangladesh played a practice match against Al-Wehdat Football Club of Taif City -- an academy team based in Makkah -- and dominated. Although the team management did not disclose the exact scoreline, sources indicate that Bangladesh netted over a dozen goals.

"It has been good practice for the players. Most of them got at least 45 minutes on the pitch, and it was a valuable opportunity to implement what we have been working on over the past eight days in Saudi Arabia," head coach Javier Cabrera said in a video message provided by the BFF.

Following the match, questions have been raised about whether playing against an academy side and scoring so many goals serves as ideal preparation for Bangladesh. Meanwhile, India are set to play a single practice match against the Maldives on March 19 at the same venue in Shillong, where they will host Bangladesh in the qualifiers.

Cabrera's charges also participated in a one-hour practice session, a gym workout, meetings, and other activities on the same day as the match. This highlights how comfortable the game was for them, as they still had enough energy left for additional drills.

Italy-based Fahamedul Islam also featured in the match, though details on how the right-winger performed and adapted alongside local players remain unknown.

"We will continue our preparations and hope to play at least one more practice match while in Saudi Arabia," Cabrera stated. However, he had previously mentioned that Bangladesh would play three practice matches, including one against Sudan, which was later canceled due to scheduling conflicts.

Additionally, Bangladesh are awaiting the arrival of Hamza Choudhury, who plays for Sheffield United in the Premier League. He is expected to join the camp on March 17, meaning he will miss all practice matches, making it more challenging for him and the team to build chemistry.

Given these circumstances, one must question whether Bangladesh would have benefited more from playing against the country's top domestic clubs -- such as Abahani, Bashundhara Kings, and Bangladesh Police FC -- who are currently in training for the Bangladesh Premier League.