Bangladesh Challenge Indonesia in Group A of ASEAN Cup 2026, Striker Rakib Hossain: We Are Ready to Shock the Hosts

The Bangladesh national team has set foot in Jakarta since Saturday (19/9/2026) to take part in the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 tournament. The squad under Thomas Dooley immediately held training to sharpen its strategy for Group A Premier Division, which includes Malaysia, Singapore, and host Indonesia. Their opening match will take place at Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium, Jakarta, on Friday (25/9/2026) afternoon, against Malaysia.

Bangladesh striker Rakib Hossain acknowledged that his team is not the favorite. However, the 27-year-old player stressed that thorough preparations had been made well in advance. "We know we have to face strong teams. Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore are ranked much higher. The coach has prepared us from the start, and we trained hard before arriving here," said Rakib, as quoted by TSports.

The gap in FIFA rankings shows how tough the challenge is. Bangladesh is currently ranked 181st in the world, while Singapore is 148th, Malaysia 130th, and Indonesia 118th. Even so, Rakib refused to let his team be seen as mere makeweights. He stressed that Bangladesh came with the ambition to cause an upset.

Bangladesh's strength is expected to improve after several key players linked up with the squad. Hamza Chowdhury, who plays for Sheffield United, arrived in Jakarta on Monday (21/9/2026) and immediately trained in the gym. Shamit Shome followed a day later. Rakib believes their presence makes the team's preparations more complete. "Hamza has arrived, Farhan Ali is also here. When everyone is complete, we can train as one team. That is positive for us," he added.

For Indonesia, Bangladesh's presence in Group A cannot be underestimated. Although far below in the rankings, spirit and thorough preparation are often decisive factors in regional tournaments. The Indonesian national team, as host, is demanded not to get caught up in euphoria. The match against Bangladesh on the second matchday could be a trap if the Garuda squad is careless.

Coach Thomas Dooley is known as a figure who is disciplined in defensive organization. He is likely to apply a tight defensive strategy and rely on quick counterattacks. Rakib Hossain, as the spearhead, will be the mainstay for capitalizing on chances. With the addition of players such as Hamza Chowdhury, the quality of Bangladesh's midfield is expected to be more solid.

The FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 is a proving ground for Southeast Asian countries to measure their strength ahead of bigger competitions. For Bangladesh, this tournament is a rare opportunity to compete at the regional level and improve its FIFA ranking. Meanwhile, for Indonesia, the title on home soil is non-negotiable.

The big question is, can Bangladesh truly disrupt the dominance of the favored teams? Or will Indonesia instead use its host status to cruise smoothly into the next round? The answer will become clear starting 25 September.