New-look booters start camp today
A total of 19 players out of 22 yesterday reported to manager Satyajit Das Rupu for the training camp ahead of next month's World Cup and Asian Cup Qualifier against Jordan. The new-look provisional squad, which has excluded seven of the regular players for indiscipline and a few more due to poor performance, will be based in Dhaka for the camp starting from today.
Bangladesh, already out of reckoning for the World Cup Qualifiers' third round, will play their last match away to Jordan on March 24, after a preparatory friendly match away to UAE on March 18. A new coach in Gonzalo Sanchez Moreno and a new manager in Rupu have been installed for the job.
However, it will not be the first time that Moreno will work with these players as the Spaniard led the Olympic side, which has 14 players in this squad, to third-place finish in the South Asian Games earlier this month. The players said they cannot do anything about who is chosen as coach, but understanding will not be an issue due to their prior experience.
“We will have to work with whoever is appointed coach by the BFF. This coach [Moreno] knows everyone since he worked as deputy to Maruful Haque. The more we practise, the better will be the understanding among the players,” felt striker Shakhawat Hossain Rony.
Another senior player, Wali Faisal, believes that in absence of some of the regular players, the new ones will have to take the responsibility. “Team management decided that we will have to go there without seven players which we cannot do anything about. We can still get a good result with proper training in the time that is still we have. Our target will be to get a draw away,” said the experienced left-back.
Like the coach, manager Rupu has also been handed the charge for this one-off match. The veteran footballer-turned-manager vowed that he would not tolerate any indiscipline in his time. “This is a new responsibility for me. I will show zero tolerance regarding disciplinary issues,” said Rupu.
The Abahani manager, however, maintains that there is still chance for some of the players, who have been left out for indiscipline, to get into the squad. “If the team management thinks that any of the players have satisfied with their replies, they can still be considered for the final squad,” said Rupu.
Comments