Fit and focused, Junior Tigers eye group top spot

Bangladesh’s Junior Tigers hit the ground running in Baku, Azerbaijan on Thursday, completing a sharp opening training session just hours after landing in Azerbaijan for the FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival.

The squad touched down late Wednesday night at 11:00pm and checked straight into the Athletes’ Village before getting straight to work. The full squad took to the pitch for a one-hour run-out with every player taking part and reporting a clean bill of health.

The youngsters will return to the training turf on Friday for another one-hour workout to fine-tune their tactics before kicking off tournament action.

Drawn in Group G alongside Portugal, Wales, Indonesia, Burundi, and Fiji, Bangladesh face a fast, high-intensity challenge. The tournament features a rapid eight-a-side format played on a smaller pitch, with matches contested over two 20-minute halves. The Junior Tigers launch their campaign on Saturday, 24 October, against Wales.

Goalkeeping coach Arifuzzaman Himel praised the team’s energy and gave high marks to the local setup.

"We arrived in Azerbaijan late on Wednesday and had our first session on Thursday, which went very well," Himel said. "All the players are fit and healthy. The organisation for this FIFA Under-15 World Cup has been brilliant. Everything is running smoothly, professionally, and right on time."

Looking ahead to Saturday's opener, Himel made it clear the squad are setting their sights high.

"We have another practice session tomorrow, and then we take on Wales on the 24th," he added. "The players are completely focused on this first match. Inshallah, our goal is simple: we want to win the group."