In 2025, Bangladesh’s international football record has hardly inspired confidence. The national team managed just one victory all year—a narrow win over Bhutan in a friendly on 4 June in Dhaka, which offered only a brief moment of relief. On Thursday night, the friendly against Nepal looked set to deliver the team’s second triumph of the year. Thanks to a brace from Hamza Choudhury, Bangladesh led 2–1 right up until the 90th minute.
Yet disaster struck again. In the third minute of added time, Javier Cabrera’s men conceded a late equalizer, walking off the pitch with a 2–2 draw. For supporters, the frustration was immense—victory had been firmly within their grasp, only to slip away at the eleventh hour.
This isn’t an isolated incident. Something similar occurred last October, when Bangladesh conceded in the 11th minute of added time against Hong Kong, ultimately losing 4–3 after the match had been locked at 3–3. The repetition of such late collapses has raised pressing questions:
Is it a lapse in concentration? Psychological pressure? Tactical shortcomings? Or a combination of all three?
Spanish head coach Javier Cabrera faced these questions directly from journalists. He refused to accept that his squad suffer from a mental weakness. Instead, he insisted the team regularly train for late-game defensive scenarios.
According to Cabrera:
“I wouldn’t say it’s a psychological issue. In training and in matches, we practice defending these situations hundreds of times. It can happen in any game. Yes, it has happened a bit too often recently, but I don’t see it as a mental problem.”
He also dismissed the idea that his players lose focus late in matches.
“The footballers don’t play with 25 minutes of concentration—they step onto the pitch committed to defending for 95–100 minutes. We do everything necessary to protect the goal, and the opponents do everything they can to score. The late-game pressure is the same for both sides.”
Although the friendly against Nepal carried no ranking significance, the next fixture is of immense importance: the Asian Cup qualifiers against India on Tuesday. To prevent another late collapse, Cabrera has turned his attention to detailed video analysis.
“We’ll review our mistakes and prepare using video. Our goal is to ensure this doesn’t happen against India. We have four days, and we intend to make the necessary adjustments.”
