Emily, Sajib miss out

Veteran striker Zahid Hasan Emily and youngster Aminur Rahman Sajib failed to make the cut as Bangladesh coach Maruful Haque yesterday announced his 20-member final squad for next week's SAFF Suzuki Cup with only two centre-forwards in the side.

Emily, who has been a constant fixture in the last five editions of the championship since debuting in the 2005 SAFF Championship in Pakistan, failed to recover from a meniscus injury on his right knee ahead of the final selection.

The exclusion of Emily and Sajib means Maruful had no other choice but to pick Shakhawat Hossain Rony and relatively inexperienced Nabib Newaj Jibon as his two centre-forwards while the 46-year-old coach has pinned his hope on old guns, who have been representing the national team for the last few years.

“I have tried a lot and waited till the end, but could not make it. The injury to my right knee is still hurting and I will need two more weeks to recover fully. Emily said over phone yesterday. “I hope that those who have been chosen for the final squad will do well in the SAFF Championship.”

With a tough challenge ahead in the regional football extravaganza where Bangladesh were eliminated from the group stages in last two editions, Maruful will now have to bank on comparatively inexperienced Rony and Jibon upfront. Rony has been in and out of the side in the last couple of years while Jibon only made his debut in the match against Kyrgyzstan in the World Cup and Asian Cup qualifiers a few months ago.

The exclusion of Emily is certainly a big blow for Maruful, who however kept his hope on influential holding midfielder Jamal Bhuiyan, who has been toiling hard to regain his fitness after a bout of fever and stomach erosion recently.

Of the 28-member preliminary squad, midfielder Abdul Baten Komol and defender Kesto Kumar Bose had earlier left the camp due to injuries before Maruful yesterday dropped six more players – goalkeeper Mazharul Islam Himel, defender Rezaul Karim, midfielders Faisal Mahmud and Masuk Mia Jonny, strikers Sajib and  Emily.

Of the 20-member final squad, nine players had played in the 2013 SAFF Championship in Kathmandu while the 11 remaining players will play the championship for the first time.       

SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Shahidul Alam Sohel, Rasel Mahmud Liton, Ashraful Islam Rana
Defenders: Nasirul Islam, Yeasin Khan, Nasiruddin Chowdhury, Raihan Hasan, Yeamin Ahmed Chowdhury Munna, Tapu Barman, Atiqur Rahman Meshu, Wali Faisal.
Midfielders: Mamunul Islam, Jamal Bhuiyan, Zahid Hossain, Hemanta Vincent Biswas, Sohel Rana, Monaem Khan Raju, Jewel Rana.
Strikers: Shakhawat Hossain Rony, Nabib Newaj Jibon.