Mutairi turns closed-door training into an open-book conversation

Sri Lanka head coach Abdullah Al Mutairi initially had no plans to face the media ahead of Wednesday's crucial SAFF Championship clash against Bangladesh, as his team's training session at the ABG Sports City football training ground was scheduled to be held behind closed doors. But after noticing journalists waiting outside, the coach approached them himself and promised not to disappoint them.

Sri Lanka were scheduled to begin training at 6:30pm on Tuesday but arrived almost an hour late. Local officials initially prevented journalists from entering the training ground, citing the closed-door session. However, Mutairi walked towards the waiting reporters and thanked them for their patience.

“Thank you for coming. I saw there was a lot of traffic on the road when I was coming, but you are still here. Thank you. Just wait a little. I will not disappoint you,” he told the journalists.

He first sent three of his players to speak to the media before answering questions himself. Although only three questions were allowed, Mutairi spent nearly 12 minutes responding, sharing his thoughts on Bangladesh, Hamza Choudhury and the future of South Asian football.

The Sri Lankan coach expects Wednesday's encounter to be one of the best matches in SAFF history, acknowledging Bangladesh's quality while insisting his side are ready.

“I believe this match will be one of the best in the history of SAFF. The host team are very strong. Both teams have quality players, whether local or players of South Asian origin,” he said.

Sri Lanka need at least a draw to keep their semi-final hopes alive, but Mutairi insisted his players would not adopt a defensive approach.

“For us, there is one rule in football that I believe in: win or die. I told the players that today. There is no other chance for us tomorrow. If we want to continue in this SAFF Championship, we need to win or draw. But I think we will play for a win,” he said.

He also highlighted Bangladesh's advantage of playing at home at 8pm, suggesting the result could be important for their FIFA ranking.

“Playing at 3pm is not the same as playing at 8pm,” he said.

Much of Mutairi's attention, however, went beyond Wednesday's contest. He passionately defended players of South Asian origin who represent their ancestral countries, particularly Hamza, who has become a major attraction for Bangladesh.

“They are not foreigners. They have the blood. Hamza is Bengali, he is from Bangladesh. Why should we keep them away from us?” he said.

Recalling the overwhelming reception Hamza received upon arriving in Dhaka, Mutairi said the midfielder's connection with Bangladesh was a source of pride for the region.

“When Hamza came to play for Bangladesh, how many Bengali people were at the airport? The airport was almost closed, all Dhaka was almost closed. This makes everyone in Asia proud,” he said.

He also welcomed Farhaan Ali Wahid's decision to represent Bangladesh.

Mutairi claimed he could have used comments he attributed to Bangladesh coach Thomas Dooley about Hamza's ability to handle the pressure of captaincy as a psychological weapon, but insisted he had no intention of doing so.

“If I wanted to put pressure on Bangladesh and play mind games, I could use the coach's comments about Hamza not being able to handle the pressure of captaincy. Did he say it? Four times. I have screenshots. But I don't want to do that,” he said.

Beyond the tournament, Mutairi believes South Asian nations should look beyond regional glory and target the AFC Asian Cup. He questioned why Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives continue to focus primarily on the SAFF Championship.

Bangladesh last appeared in the continental tournament in 1980, and the Sri Lankan coach believes they can return.

“Why can't they go again? Why do they target only the SAFF Cup? Why does Sri Lanka target only the SAFF Cup? Why is India happy only if they win the SAFF Cup?” he said.

Citing Yemen, Tajikistan and Afghanistan as examples, Mutairi urged South Asian football authorities to prioritise long-term development and proper planning.

“If Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Nepal, the Maldives and Bhutan focus on football development, make proper plans and set the Asian Cup as a target, why not?” he said.

He also called for greater unity among South Asian nations, arguing that the region spends too much time on media exchanges and psychological battles instead of developing football.

“We are too busy with mind games and the media. But the reality is that we are brothers. We are one region. So why do we fight?” he said.

Recalling Sri Lanka's previous match against Bhutan, Mutairi said he had put aside his anger after the final whistle to show respect to his opponents.

“When both teams came together after the game, I went and kissed the heads of the Bhutan players to keep everyone happy. When the match finishes, there is no need to celebrate in front of the other team. The most important thing is to respect others,” he said.

“We play football, not cricket. We create love. We need competition, pressure and excitement, but we also need harmony. Nobody dies because they lose,” he added.

Asked whether he would celebrate a Sri Lankan victory with a dance, Mutairi ended the conversation with a joke.

“Tomorrow, if we win, I can dance like Akshay Kumar. Be careful,” he said, before taking a playful swipe at Bangladesh's media.

“Bangladesh media publish everything,” he said with a smile.