We can get the three points against Singapore, says Cabrera

Bangladesh head coach Javier Cabrera and his players believe they have the ability to beat Singapore in their final AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers fixture on Tuesday and salvage some pride by finishing the campaign in second position.

Bangladesh, currently third in the four-team Group C, have five points from five matches, while Singapore have already secured the lone qualifying spot from the group with 11 points. Hong Kong have eight while India are at the bottom with two.

The team arrived in Singapore on Thursday following a 3-0 defeat in a FIFA friendly away to Vietnam. The loss was a bruising one against the reigning Southeast Asian champions, but Cabrera believes the experience will stand his side in good stead ahead of the match at the National Stadium in Kallang.

“We wanted to have that tough test before coming here. Vietnam was a strong challenge. The result was disappointing, but I think there were many positives to take. It was a very important experience against a much higher-ranked team,” Cabrera said in a video message sent by the Bangladesh Football Federation on Friday, after the team’s first training session in Singapore.

Midfielder Sheikh Morsalin, who was an unused substitute against Vietnam, believes the team will learn from their mistakes. Bangladesh were trailing 3-0 within the first 38 minutes, but an improved second-half display helped them avoid a heavier defeat.

“We had our expectations in Vietnam. We played well in the second half and even tried to dominate. So we will try to correct those mistakes with the aim of winning this match,” Morsalin said.

Bangladesh lost to both Singapore (1-2) and Hong Kong (3-4), but beat India (1-0) at home. In contrast, Cabrera’s charges have fared slightly better away from home, drawing both their matches against India (0-0) and Hong Kong (1-1). Their performances on the road have also shown more cohesion and spirit, something Morsalin believes they can carry into this match.

“There will be pressure, but our objective is to finish second with a win, as we have done well away from home. Victory is our only target,” said the Bangladesh No. 7.

Cabrera echoed that belief, saying his team can get a positive result if they play to their full potential.

“If we take the best things from the match against Vietnam, I think we are going to be very competitive against Singapore,” the Spaniard said. “If we are at our best and can improve on the small details -- especially set-pieces, where we had some issues in the first game -- it’s going to be a very tight match, and we can get the three points.”