Hong Kong boss shoots down Bangladesh complaints before sold-out Kai Tak Stadium clash

Ashley Westwood has shot down suggestions that Bangladesh have been ill treated ahead of their AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Hong Kong at a packed Kai Tak Stadium on Tuesday night.

The 50,000-seat Kowloon venue sold out within 1½ hours of tickets becoming available, and anticipation for the clash has heightened after the city team won a rip-roaring away fixture 4-3 in Dhaka last Thursday.

Asked at a lively pre-match press conference on Monday about some Bangladeshi grumbles over their practice facilities, an incredulous Westwood said: “I can guarantee you they are getting much better than we did in Bangladesh. If anything, I’m moaning about our association doing too much for them.”

Although the Asian Football Confederation requires visiting teams to have access to training grounds from only two days before the match, Bangladesh were granted use of Tai Po Sports Ground on Saturday.

Bangladesh trained at Tsing Yi Sports Ground 24 hours later, then used Kai Tak on Monday, when they requested a temperature of 23 degrees under the stadium roof.

Speaking after Westwood, Javier Cabrera, the Bangladesh head coach, said the facilities “definitely could have been better, but were enough for us to train”.