Lanka friendlies squad named

Bangladesh national team's head coach Lodewijk de Kruif picked three new faces as a 28-member preliminary squad for the upcoming two-match FIFA Friendly series against Sri Lanka was announced yesterday.

Midfielder Atikur Rahman Fahad of Chittagong Abahani, midfielder Mesbah Uddin of Brothers Union and Rahmatganj FC goalkeeper Samiul Islam were the three players called for the first time in the 28-member squad, which retained 18 out of 20 players from the Asian Games squad.

The camp for the national team will start on October 10 at the Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishthan in Savar as De Kruif and his deputy Rene Koster are expected to return from their short vacation in Netherlands on the same day. Sri Lanka are expected to arrive here on October 22. The first match will be held on October 24 in Jessore followed by the second match on October 27 in Rajshahi.

Skipper Mamunul Islam, who is currently with the Atletico de Kolkata franchise for the Indian Super League, has also been called along with Denmark-based midfielder Jamal Bhuiyan.

Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club midfielder Monayem Khan Raju, who had been out of national reckoning for one year, has also been recalled by the coach along with versatile defender Atiqur Rahman Meshu, who was ruled out of the Asian Games squad with a knee injury. Winger Zahid Hossain, who made a late entry into the Asian Games squad after being out of national reckoning for a year, has also been recalled.

The 28 member squad feature four goalkeepers, nine defenders, nine midfielders and six strikers. Ten out of the 28 players called are from the current Bangladesh Premier League champions Sheikh Jamal DC while Mohammedan SC represent seven members.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Football Federation brought a change in the managerial role as they appointed Amirul Islam Babu, who acted as the manager during Asian Games in Incheon, replacing Ikbal Hossain, who was the manager of the senior national team in the last FIFA friendly match against India in Goa in March.

PRELIMINARY SQUAD: Russell Mahmud Liton, Mazharul Islam, Shahidul Alam, Samiul Islam, Rayhan Hasan, Mohammed Linkon, Nasiruddin Chowdhury, Atiqur Rahman Meshu, Yasin Khan, Yeamin Munna, Tapu Barman, Ariful Islam, Nasirul Islam Nasir, Monayem Khan, Mamunul Islam, Sohel Rana, Jamal Bhuiyan, Omar Faruk, Atikur Rahman Fahad, Zahid Hossain, Hemantha Vincent Bishwas, Yousuf Sifat, Mezbah Uddin, Mithun Chowdhury, Wahed Ahmed, Zahid Hasan Emely, Toklis Ahmed, Aminur Rahman Sajib.