With fervent fan support, Bangladesh aim to spoil Lions’ Asian Cup party

SINGAPORE – Geylang Lorong 12 was the scene of an unusual sight last weekend, as hundreds of football fans thronged the streets, mobbing the Bangladesh team as they got off the bus to head to the training pitch.

So eager were they for a glimpse of their heroes that the crowd spilt into the back alleys, while others climbed up neighbouring stairs to brandish the country’s flag.

Little did it matter that the 181st-ranked team are playing a dead-rubber match against Singapore in their final Asian Cup qualifier at the National Stadium on March 31.

Just like at the training session in Geylang, the visitors can expect some strong support in the 55,000-seat facility, as The Straits Times understands that the away allocation of 6,000 tickets is sold out.

When asked about their popularity – their home games at the 22,400-capacity National Stadium in Dhaka are often close to sold-out – and fanatic reception overseas, Bangladesh skipper Jamal Bhuyan jokingly referred to their 170 million population. “We are a country with a lot of people, right?” he said.

The 35-year-old then eloquently described how Bangladesh football has been on the rise in recent years, after recruiting foreign-born stars with Bangladeshi heritage such as England-born Hamza Choudhury and Cuba Mitchell, as well as Canada-born Shamit Shome.

He added: “I would say the No. 1 sport in Bangladesh in the past was mostly cricket, but it has been football in the last two years, even if some people may disagree with me.

“The support, the hype and the fans have been tremendous. Wherever we go in Dhaka as players, we can feel the love. Also, when I go outside of Bangladesh, I can feel the love, and it’s the same for the other players. We appreciate it a lot, and of course, with good results and performances, I hope this will continue.”

While the Bengal Tigers are the lowest-ranked side in Group C, they have belied their lowly position by remaining unbeaten against India (140th) with a 0-0 away draw and a 1-0 home win, and pulling off a 1-1 draw in Hong Kong (151st) to also help Singapore’s cause.

In their previous encounter against the Lions in June 2025, they piled on the pressure after pulling a goal back but narrowly lost 2-1.

Even with a raft of suspended players – such as Topu Barman and Rakib Hossain – and injuries that could rule out Mohammad Ridoy and Shah Quazem Kirmanee, Bangladesh coach Javier Cabrera is backing his team to play party poopers on Singapore’s home turf.

Following a 3-0 friendly loss to Vietnam on March 26, the 41-year-old Spaniard said: “We know the expectation is to celebrate the qualification of their team, but we want to give a hard fight, at least at the same level of how we played the last time we met.”

Shome added: “Everyone was a bit down after the Vietnam defeat, but we are improving and now fully focused on the Singapore match. The support from the expatriate Bangladeshis here is really motivating us, and we are hoping for a good performance.”