Coach unhappy despite Junior Tigers’ historic draw

Bangladesh kicked off their historic FIFA Under-15 World Cup campaign with a gritty goalless draw against a physically imposing Wales side in Baku on Saturday.

The Junior Tigers battled hard to secure the 0-0 result in Azerbaijan, marking their debut in a unique, fast-paced tournament. This is the first time FIFA has organised a global competition at the under-15 level, bringing together a staggering 191 countries. The eventual winners will have the honour of receiving the championship trophy directly from FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

Adapting to the festival's special rules, the teams played out a rapid 40-minute match in an eight-a-side format, a sharp shift from standard 90-minute, 11-a-side football.

Denying a European side a goal proved to be a major confidence boost for the Bangladesh defence. Goalkeeper Srinath Haldar, who stood firm under pressure, was delighted to shut out the Welsh attack.

"Wales are physically much stronger than us," Haldar said. "My goal was to keep a clean sheet, and I managed to do exactly that. I hope to keep this form going in the next matches."

However, head coach Akbar Hossain Ridon was far less pleased with the hard-earned point, demanding better quality from his players on the ball.

"I am not very happy with the performance. We couldn't play to our true potential," Ridon said in a video message released by the football federation. "They were physically and technically very strong. We made a lot of mistakes, especially in our build-up play. In fact, we actually missed the easiest scoring chance of the match."

The young squad must now regroup quickly as they face a punishing double-header on Sunday. They will take on Cristiano Ronaldo's home nation, Portugal, in the morning, followed by another group match at night.

With the games coming thick and fast, Ridon admits there is no time to step back onto the training pitch to iron out their flaws.

"We play Portugal tomorrow morning and have another match at night, so there is no time for practice," the coach explained. "I will try to correct today's mistakes through video sessions with the boys."