Hamza curious about ‘striker’ Bishwanath
After missing Bangladesh’s opening game against Bhutan, Hamza Choudhury touched down in Dhaka on Monday morning, ready to take part in the remainder of the SAFF Championship 2026.
The Sheffield United footballer went straight from the airport to the team hotel, mingled with his teammates, exchanged greetings and was soon talking about the matches ahead.
One teammate in particular was on his mind.
“How did you enjoy the new position?” a curious Hamza posed the question to Bishwanath Ghosh, a right-back who debuted as a striker against Bhutan.
Bishwanath recalled the exchange to Daily Waadaa, and revealed what he had said in response.
“I enjoyed it a lot. It would have been better if I had scored.”
Bishwanath started the Bhutan match as Bangladesh’s lone striker. He played 65 minutes up front and was certainly busy on the pitch.
According to FotMob, his six touches in the Bhutan box were the joint-most in the match. He was a livewire at the front line, charging for the ball all the time and keeping the Bhutanese defensive line busy.
But when it came to the goal-scoring part, he couldn’t deliver.
He had a total of six shots in the match: one on target, four off target and one blocked. Only three of his seven passes found their target, giving him a passing accuracy of 43 per cent. He also missed a big chance.
He was replaced by Mohammad Ibrahim in the second half, who made an almost immediate impact, pouncing on a chance to score the decisive goal in the 69th minute that earned the home side a 1-0 win.
Bishwanath, however, wasn’t disappointed with his performance and was up for the challenge if the opportunity to play as a striker comes up again.
“I liked playing in the new position. I had played as a winger before, but being a striker was completely new for me. If I get a chance in this position again, I want to score.”
Bishwanath also made clear that a switch like this is not simple.
“It’s really a matter of habit. If I had practised as a striker for months, I would certainly have succeeded,” he said.
Bangladesh are already through to the semifinals after the 2-2 draw between Bhutan and Sri Lanka on Sunday night.
The hosts will face Sri Lanka on November 11 in the fight to finish top of Group A.
Whether Bishwanath leads the attack again, however, is unclear.
“I still don’t know whether I’ll play as a striker against Sri Lanka. The coach hasn’t said anything yet. Ibrahim may play. I might go back to right-back or centre-back. It will be confirmed in today’s and tomorrow’s training.”
The experiment came from a real need. Despite the win, Bangladesh’s lack of a natural No.9 was evident against Bhutan. Head coach Thomas Dooley tried Bishwanath as an option and said he was satisfied with his performance in the post-match press conference.
But because he could not score, the questions persist. Whether this issue returns to haunt Bangladesh against Sri Lanka, only time will tell.