Bangladesh midfielder Shamit Shome is targeting revenge against Singapore on Monday, having lost twice to the same opponents in the Asian Cup qualifiers, as Thomas Dooley's side look to bounce back from an opening 3-0 defeat to Malaysia at the ASEAN Cup.
Singapore, who sit 33 places above Bangladesh in the FIFA rankings, also lost their tournament opener, going down 2-0 to Indonesia, making Monday's meeting in Jakarta a straight shootout for survival between the two struggling sides.
"We have lost to them twice. We have a desire to get a little revenge. Sometimes we think we could have at least got a point or won," Shamit said on Sunday, referring to defeats in the Asian Cup qualifiers.
Bangladesh lost 2-1 at home in June 2025 and 1-0 away the following March, with Shamit saying the pattern in both matches was similar, chances created but not converted into results his side could be satisfied with.
The New York Cosmos midfielder believes that familiarity now works in Bangladesh's favour, with the squad studying Singapore's recent performance against Indonesia alongside their own past meetings to prepare for Monday's contest.
"They have a good structure in their football. There are two or three players in the team who are very dangerous. But we already know that," Shamit said, adding that Bangladesh had identified areas to exploit and areas requiring caution.
He was careful not to dwell on the manner of Bangladesh's defeat to Malaysia, insisting the squad's attention had already shifted entirely towards Singapore rather than replaying the disappointment of the tournament opener.
"The first match was somewhat like getting punched in the face for us. We understood that we need to improve, organise ourselves and understand some things again," he said.
We have lost to them twice. We have a desire to get a little revenge. Sometimes we think we could have at least got a point or won.Shamit Shome, Bangladesh midfielder
Shamit added that no external motivation was required beyond the basic desire shared by every footballer to win, insisting the squad already understood exactly where they had fallen short in the Malaysia defeat without needing reminders.
"We are footballers, we want to win, and we want to do well here because of the competition. That itself is our motivation," he said, promising a more energetic and disciplined performance than the one seen in the opener.
Kick off at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium is scheduled for 3pm Bangladesh time, with both teams knowing defeat would leave their hopes of advancing from the group stage significantly harder to salvage.