Bhutan’s national football team is looking to salvage some pride when it takes on Oman in the Group D match of the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers in Changlimithang on Tuesday.
The Bhutanese team is eyeing a win against Oman, who had scored 14 goals past Bhutan in the opening group match in March.
The team will be led by Coach Pema Dorji after the departure of German Coach Torsten Frank Spittler following the 10 – nil defeat to Palestine last month. “Tactically, we can’t defeat them,” said Coach Pema Dorji.
“They are professionals and we are amateurs. I am doing whatever I can. Their formation is 4-2-3-1. We are training according to their formation.”
Striker Chencho Gyeltshen, who now plays for India based Minerva Football Club, also joined the national squad yesterday.
“We get nervous when we play at home,” said Choki Wangchuk, one of the players.
“There is the home crowd pressure. But we will do our best and give our best. We don’t have hope of qualifying but this match will present better competition and improvement for the future.”
Tuesday’s match will Bhutan’s last home match in the qualifiers. Bhutan had lost all the four group matches it has played so far. The hope of qualifying for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup is dim but the team wants to put on a good show in front of the home fans.
