Salahuddin to follow nat'l team

Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) president Kazi Salahuddin wants to watch the national team's performance in two international tournaments this year on his own for an assessment for future planning.
Bangladesh will play in the Merdeka Cup in Malaysia next month while the federation has accepted Myanmar's invitation to participate in the Royal Challenge Cup in November.
"I want to watch all the matches in Malaysia an Myanmar so that I can find the strength and the weaknesses of the team. I won't mind if the team lose big because are not going to win the title," Salahuddin told yesterday.
"You also have to take into consideration that we don't have enough time for camp.
"I have some certain qualities and rather than relying on second hand information, I want to see it myself," said the country's best ever striker, arguably, who also had an illustrious coaching career though briefly.
Salahuddin, who coached Abahani and Muktijoddha at club level, was national coach during the 1985 SAF Games at home and said his target is next year's SAF Games and the SAFF Championship.
"The full national team will be playing in Merdeka but we will pick a mixed side with emphasis on youth for the Myanmar event. This will give us a chance to make plans for the national team as well as the under-23s, which will play in the SAF Games in Dhaka.
"If the old guards do well, I don't see any need to replace them in the national team," said Salahuddin in defence of the veterans, who had been ignored by the past executive committee of BFF but have been recalled by new coach Shafiqul Islam Manik.
"By November, we will also see some of the youngsters perform in the B. League. So it would be easier to decide on the under-23 side."