Bhutan national football team head coach Gary Phillips expressed his optimism ahead of their opening match against hosts Bangladesh in the Techno SAFF Championship, despite facing challenges in their preparations.

Bhutan will face Bangladesh in their opening match of the SAFF Championship scheduled to be held at National Stadium tomorrow (Thursday).

Speaking at the pre-match press conference at the city’s local hotel today (Wednesday), the head coach said the team’s preparation had been disrupted by the domestic league schedule during the recent FIFA international window, making it difficult to bring the players together early.

He said the squad included a significant number of young and new players, providing the coaching staff with an opportunity to assess emerging talents ahead of future major qualifiers.

Despite having less preparation time than some of their competitors, the coach remained optimistic about his team’s prospects, describing the tournament as an important platform for the development of Bhutanese football.

Facing the hosts in their opening match will be a challenging task, but the Bhutanese side are determined to make the most of the opportunity.

The coach also highlighted Bhutan’s commitment to developing homegrown football, saying the squad consisted entirely of locally based players who would proudly represent their country on the international stage.