Bangladesh will not fear anyone in ASEAN Cup, says Hamza

Bangladesh midfielder Hamza Choudhury has declared his side will not be intimidated by higher-ranked opponents at the ASEAN Cup 2026, insisting the team is focused on gaining experience while chasing points against stronger sides.

"We're very excited and honoured to be included in this tournament. It's obviously a big opportunity to play against teams ranked higher than us. For us, I think it's to get as many points as we can," Hamza said in a video message sent by the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) from Jakarta on Wednesday.

"We're not here to fear anyone. We know what we're capable of. But inshallah, 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," he added.

Bangladesh face a difficult opening test against Malaysia, who Hamza believes have considerable quality and are capable of challenging for a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“I think they obviously rank quite well. They've got very good quality in the team, a very good head coach. 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, they put a lot of onus on football and I think they're a very good side,” he added.

Bangladesh will then face Singapore on September 28, before completing their Group A campaign against hosts Indonesia on October 1.

The England-born defender had joined the national camp in Jakarta on Monday. He spoke of his early impressions of Indonesia, praising the warmth of the hosts and the football culture.

"It's just like I expected, to be honest. Very, very friendly people, very kind people. Football's massive here and the facilities have been very good. I'm looking forward to playing on Friday."