Bangladesh will be without their head coach, Saiful Bari Titu, when they take on hosts Vietnam in their AFC Under-23 Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers Group C opener at the Viet Tri Stadium in Vietnam today.
The match is scheduled to start at 6:00pm Bangladesh Standard Time.
The players had their final training session of the three-day camp at the Phu Tho SC Training Ground on Tuesday under assistant coach Hasan Al Mamun, as Titu has been suffering from a fever.
鈥楾itu Bhai has been suffering from fever since last night [Monday]. He visited the hospital today [Tuesday] and is now staying at the team hotel. I am not sure if he will be able to sit in the dugout. I will do my best to lead the team in his absence,鈥� Mamun told the media on Tuesday.
Bangladesh have never overcome the group-stage hurdles of the qualifiers tournament in their previous six attempts since 2013.
This marked the first occasion that they conducted an overseas tour for preparation, which included playing two friendly matches in Bahrain prior to the qualifiers.
Bangladesh commenced their training at home on 1 August, followed by a 12-day camp in Bahrain from 14 to 26 August.
During their training, they suffered defeats, 1-0 and 4-2 losses to the Bahrain U-23 team, returning home on August 26.
Bangladesh arrived in Vietnam on August 30.
Mamun was confident that Bangladesh could cross the group stage of the qualifiers this time.
鈥極verall, we had about a month-long training in Dhaka, Bahrain, and Vietnam. We have formed a good team. We have no good memories at the AFC U-23 level competitions. But I believe the current team has the capability. We hope for positive results, and the players are confident they can make a difference,鈥� said Mamun.
Italy-based midfielder Fahamedul Islam joined the team on Tuesday but was not included in Titu鈥檚 plans for today鈥檚 match.
Bangladesh captain Shekh Morsalin echoed Mamun, stating, 鈥榃e are prepared to give our best, and winning tomorrow鈥檚 game is our only target.鈥�
Bangladesh will play Yemen on September 6 and Singapore on September 9 in their remaining Group C fixtures.
A total of 44 teams will compete in the qualifiers, with the 11 group winners and the four best runners-up advancing to join the automatically qualified Saudi Arabia for the final event in January 2026.
