Bangladesh coach Javier Cabrera and captain Jamal Bhuiyan expressed their satisfaction after holding Indonesia to a goalless draw in a FIFA friendly match in Bandung last night.

The second draw in a row under Cabrera will certainly boost the confidence of the men in red and green as they fly to Kuala Lumpur today for the Asian Cup Qualifiers, also involving hosts Malaysia, Bahrain and Turkmenistan, scheduled to get underway on June 8.

With some key players unavailable due to the injury and suspension, it was a tough job for Cabrera to pick the right combination. The Spanish coach apparently emphasised on his defence in the selection by deploying two defensive midfielders – Jamal Bhuiyan and Atiqur Rahman Fahad – ahead of four-man backline, marshalled by makeshift backline of Bishwanath Ghosh, Tutul Hossain Badsha, Yeasin Arafat at left-back and Rimon Hossain at right-back.

The match was a good platform for experiment for the coach, who gave debutant Sazzad Hossain a start as No. 9 while using uncapped Papon Singh in midfield towards the end. The coach also gave valuable gametime to young Faisan Ahmed Fahim and Meraj Hossain ahead of the Asian Cup Qualifiers. 

While the hosts dominated the match, Bangladesh were relieved to not have conceded a goal, courtesy of a few good saves from goalkeeper Ansiur Rahman Zico and the failure of the hosts' forwards contributed to the cause.

Speaking after the match, Cabrera said he was happy with the execution of his plan.

"For us the game was mostly about the way we need to play in Malaysia. We knew about their strengths and we knew we had to play with good intensity and defensive organisation if we wanted to stop them. Players have done an outstanding and fantastic job. For us it was a good result," the Spaniard told the post-match press conference.

Playing in front of a full-house crowd was a motivation for the team, captain Jamal felt.

"Thanks to the Indonesian fans. From a player's perspective, it's wonderful to see full gallery... Sometimes this kind of pressure situation can be motivating for the opponent.

"Overall I think it was a decent game for us. Of course we can improve but I guess somebody has to be happy about this match and it has to be Bangladesh.

"I think the result is a good step and a confidence-booster. For us it is a good preparation. The result doesn't matter because we are here for the preparation and that's the important thing," the Bangladesh captain added.