Jamal backs himself, Shamit, Fahamedul and Zayyan for starting eleven
In a bold selection call, head coach Javier Cabrera had opted to bench all four players for the first half, including Jamal himself, despite his captaincy role. The decision drew attention, especially as the match slipped away from Bangladesh early on.
Bangladesh captain Jamal Bhuyan has called for himself, Shamit Shome, Fahamedul Islam, and Zayyan Ahmed to be included in the starting eleven after the quartet's influential performance in the second half of Thursday's Asian Cup qualifier against Hong Kong, China.
"When Shamit, Fahamedul, Zayyan and I were warming up together, I told them we had to change the course of the match," Jamal told reporters before leaving Dhaka for Hong Kong, where Bangladesh will play the return leg on 14 October.
"All four of us made an impact, and we want to start from the beginning next time. I think we performed quite well overall yesterday," he added.
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In a bold selection call, head coach Javier Cabrera had opted to bench all four players for the first half, including Jamal himself, despite his captaincy role. The decision drew attention, especially as the match slipped away from Bangladesh early on.
After falling behind, Cabrera introduced the quartet in the second half — a move that immediately changed the game's momentum. Shamit found the net, while Jamal and Fahamedul both contributed assists as Bangladesh clawed their way back into contention.
Reflecting on his own absence from the starting line-up, Jamal said he always wants to be on the pitch rather than the sidelines. "When I don't play, it doesn't feel right. I always want to play every match, but at the end of the day, it's the coach's decision," he said.
Jamal also lamented the team's recurring habit of conceding late goals, which once again proved costly in the 4–3 defeat.
"This team has a history of conceding in the final moments. Before the Hong Kong match, we spoke about staying fully focused until the very end," he said. "I even mentioned in the pre-match press conference that total concentration was the key to winning. Unfortunately, we couldn't maintain it."
Despite the heartbreak, Jamal remains confident that Bangladesh can still turn their fortunes around in the remaining fixtures.
"We have three matches left, and we need to win all of them. We can't afford to drop a single point," he stated.
He also thanked the home supporters for their passionate backing at the National Stadium, expressing regret for not rewarding them with a victory. "The fans were incredible. We're sorry we couldn't give them the result they deserved, but we'll fight to bring them better performances in the next matches," Jamal said.
