Bangladesh's aspiration to play two FIFA friendlies against the Maldives did not materialise as hoped. The primary aim was to boost their ranking by winning both matches, thereby advancing from pot four to pot three in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers draw next month. Securing a spot in pot three would have meant facing less formidable opponents. However, despite winning the second and final friendly at home against the Maldives, Bangladesh is unlikely to see an improvement in their ranking due to the loss in the first match.
Coach Javier Cabrera acknowledged this during the press conference following the 2-1 victory over the Maldives in the second match. The Spanish coach stated, "I don't see much possibility of improving the ranking because we lost one match. I think there is no chance of us moving up from pot four to pot three. You could say I am disappointed with this outcome. We should have won both matches, but we couldn't secure a win in the first one." At one point during the press conference, the Bangladesh coach lost his temper and criticised the media.
With only two wins in eight matches this year—one against Bhutan in Thimphu and the other against the Maldives today—Cabrera was asked to evaluate the year overall. He responded, "Actually, we deserved another win. I can't accept the loss to Bhutan in Thimphu. We played as if we could win against the Maldives in Dhaka but failed to do so. It's disappointing." His contract with the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) ends next month, marking three consecutive years as Bangladesh's coach. When asked about Cabrera's future, the new BFF president, Tabith Awal, had previously stated, "I won't comment on this until the two matches with the Maldives are over." Now that both matches are concluded, discussions about his future can commence. Cabrera expressed his satisfaction with his tenure in Bangladesh, saying, "I am happy working in Bangladesh. I had a good time here. My contract ends next month. Now I will talk to the new BFF president. Let's see what happens."
