Not here to fear anyone, says Hamza

UK-based midfielder Hamza Choudhury said Bangladesh are not afraid of any opponent as the men in red and green prepare to begin their campaign in the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup against Malaysia in Jakarta on Friday.

Hamza joined the Bangladesh squad on Monday and has trained with the team for the last three days. Bangladesh have been drawn alongside hosts Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia in Group A.

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"For us, it's obviously a big opportunity to play against teams that are ranked higher than us. So, for us, I think internally, it's to get as many points as we can because we're not here to fear anyone; we know what we're capable of," Hamza said in a video clip shared by the Bangladesh Football Federation on Wednesday.

"It's a learning curve for us and we're here to gain as much experience as we can and hopefully make our country proud," added the 28-year-old.

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Hamza also spoke highly of Indonesia, whom Bangladesh will face in their second group match.

"I think they're obviously ranked quite well. They've got very good quality in the team, a very good head coach, and especially in the next World Cup qualifying round, I'd be surprised if they weren't in and amongst it to go to the World Cup. I think as a country you put a lot of onus on football, and I think they have a very good side," Hamza said in response to questions from local reporters.