Bangladesh team in Perth, 'focused for next game'

Bangladesh’s campaign in the AFC Women's Asian Cup continued with a quick turnaround as the team travelled from Sydney to Perth on Saturday following their match against North Korea the previous day.

The Bangladesh team landed in Perth at around 2:30pm local time and checked into their team hotel to rest after the journey. Later in the afternoon, the players and coaching staff visited Kings Park where they took part in a light walk and stretching session as part of their recovery routine, according to a message sent by the Bangladesh Football Federation.

The session was aimed at helping the players recover from the physical and mental demands of their recent matches, including Tuesday’s 5-0 defeat to North Korea, which followed a 2-0 loss to defending champions China in their tournament opener.

Team physiotherapist Isnad Zaman said the squad had handled the difficult result well and recovered quickly after the match.

“It was a tough game. Mentally, I would say the players were a bit upset after the game, but I think that was necessary,” said Isnad. “They bounced back really quickly and then we flew to Perth. All the players are feeling really good.”

Isnad, who joined the squad at the last minute after the regular physiotherapist was unable to travel to Australia due to illness, said the players had come through the two matches without any serious injury concerns.

“To be honest, the China game was physically more challenging,” he explained. “The players are all in good health, there are no major injuries. There were a few minor niggles that we had to deal with today.”

Despite the heavy defeat to North Korea, the physio said the players had shown a positive mindset during the recovery process.

“They recovered well after the North Korea game and have bounced back mentally. They are not too down after the 5-0 loss,” he said. “I think they accept that Korea were a very good side, but they also understand that they were not at their best.”

Bangladesh will resume training on Thursday at the AFC-allocated training venue, E & D Litis Stadium from 9:00am to 10:30am as they prepare for their next match in the tournament.

“The players are really focused and ready for the next game,” Isnad added.