Bhutan is all set to host Hong Kong and Malaysia at the Changlimithang Stadium tomorrow for the Women’s Tri-Nation Cup. Ranked 171, Bhutan enters the tournament as the underdog but is counting on the home advantage as it hosts a tri-nation tournament for the first time. While Malaysia has yet to arrive, Bhutan and Hong Kong shared their strong intentions to win the cup and also capitalise on it to prepare for AFC and SAFF qualifiers in the pre-match conference today.
Ranked 80th in the world, Hong Kong is the highest-ranked team in the tournament. It is aiming to perform strongly, while also using the tournament as an opportunity to prepare for the upcoming AFC Qualifiers.
Jose Ricardo, the head coach of Hong Kong, China said “We need to prepare very hard. We want to improve for the AFC competition. And also, we want to win these two matches here, which will help to boost our confidence.”
Upon their arrival, the team had their first official training at Changlimithang yesterday.
Meanwhile, the Bhutanese coach expressed optimism despite being the lowest-ranked team going into the tournament. He expressed the team’s strong preparation and focus on gaining valuable experience while aiming to compete fiercely on home ground.
Kim Tae-In, the head coach from Bhutan said “Although Bhutan is ranked quite low in the FIFA rankings, it does not necessarily reflect a team’s actual skill level. As we have been preparing for the Tri-Nation Cup, we have been working towards becoming a team a lot. Both the players and I are in the process of building the team based on a new concept. Although it’s not yet complete, we have put in a great deal of preparation, with a new formation and new tactics, especially since the match will be held in Bhutan.”
The Malaysian side, ranked 102 will be in the country on Thursday.
The first match of the round-robin tournament will see Bhutan take on Hong Kong tomorrow, followed by Malaysia versus Hong Kong on Saturday. The tournament will conclude with Bhutan taking on Malaysia next Tuesday.
Namgay Wangdi
Edited by Kipchu
