Bangladesh to face Hong Kong China today

The match will kick off at 6 pm Bangladesh time. For Jamal Bhuyan and his men, the encounter has now become more of a formality, as they have virtually no chance left to qualify for the final round of the Asian Cup.

Earlier, Bangladesh head coach Javier Cabrera said his side had put up a very good performance in the home match and it was a competitive contest between both teams. He added that his players would take to the field with the same mentality and ambition in the return leg, as they aim to collect three points to keep their campaign alive.

Cabrera also said the team had enough time to recover and prepare in Hong Kong after the home fixture, and they are ready for the big match.

Currently, Cabrera's men are at the bottom of the table with just one point. Bangladesh began their campaign with a fighting goalless draw against hosts India, followed by a 2-1 home defeat to Singapore, and a thrilling 4-3 loss to Hong Kong last week in Dhaka.

Hong Kong, with seven points, are currently leading Group C and another victory would strengthen their chances of advancing to the main round of the Asian Cup.

Going into Tuesday's match, Hong Kong will start as clear favourites, but Cabrera is expecting spirited performances from Hamza Choudhury, Shamit Shome, and Sheikh Morsalin - all of whom showed promise in the previous encounter against Hong Kong.

The two sides have met five times before, with Hong Kong remaining unbeaten, winning three of those matches since their first meeting in 2006, reports BSS. 

According to the latest FIFA World Ranking, Bangladesh are ranked 184th, while Hong Kong sit at 146th.