'Forget 5-0, only remember 1-1'

Bangladesh national football team's head coach Lodewijk de Kruif wants his charges to forget the 5-0 drubbing at the hands of Tajikistan in a World Cup qualifier last year, instead the Dutchman wants them to remember the 1-1 draw against the same opposition in the home fixture earlier that year. The Bangladesh team will leave for Dushanbe today to face their Tajik counterparts for the first leg of a two-legged tie, as the two sides look for a second-round berth in the Asian Cup qualifiers.

While the Dutchman was in charge of the side when the booters held the Tajiks to a 1-1 draw at home in June last year – which was the only point earned by Bangladesh in the qualification campaign -- it was under a different coach, Fabio Lopez of Italy, that the Bangladesh team had suffered that heavy defeat in November last year.

Now back again in charge, de Kruif wants to motivate his side by urging them to forget that horror night in Dushanbe. Coming here just ten days ago, and with the training camp running for 17 days, the coach feels positive about escaping another drubbing in Dushanbe.

“People may have 5-0 in their mind, but in my mind, I only have the 1-1 draw. And that is what I want to put in their [players'] heads as well,” said the 46-year-old coach during the pre-departure press conference at the Bangladesh Football Federation [BFF] House yesterday, where the final 23-member squad was also revealed. Out of these 23, only 12 players were part of the squad in that 1-1 draw last year.

The coach left out defenders Yeamin Ahmed Munna, Shakil Ahmed Jr and striker Aminur Rahman Sajib from the list, finalised after the practice match on Friday where the national team were held to a goalless draw against Sheikh Russel KC.  The only new face in the list is the young BKSP striker Syed Rashed Turzo, who has been dubbed as having a 'great promise and possessing good work ethic' by the coach.

The coach, however, admitted that the players were fatigued in 'body and mind' as they hardly got time to recover from heavy training of the last 18 days, which came right after the end of the Independence Cup.

Midfielder Mamunul Islam, who had missed the last World Cup qualifier against Jordan due to suspension, said he was happy to return to the squad.

“I am thankful to the National teams' Committing for re-instating me into the squad after I sought forgiveness. Now I would try to repay the faith. Even though I was out of action for some time, I have managed to shed weight and gain speed in this training camp and I feel I am 100 per cent fit now,” said the midfielder, who has been handed the skipper's armband once again.

The press conference was also attended, among others, by assistant coach Saiful Bari Titu, team manager Satyajit Das Rupu, National Teams Committee chairman and BFF vice-president Kazi Nabil Ahmed, BFF general secretary Abu Nayeem Shohag, and representatives of Lotto, the kit sponsors of the team for the two matches.

The Bangladesh team will leave for Dushanbe this morning. The away fixture will take place at the Republican Central Stadium in Dushanbe at 8:00pm (BST) on June 2 while the home fixture will be held in Dhaka on June 7.

SQUAD
GOALKEEPERS: Ashraful Islam Rana, Shahidul Alam Sohel, Rasel Mahmud Liton. 
DEFENDERS: Raihan Hasan, Nasir Uddin Chowdhury, Tapu Barman, Nasirul Islam, Mamun Mia, Ariful Islam, Rezaul Karim, Wali Faisal.
MIDFIELDERS: Mamunul Islam (C), Faisal Mahmud, Jamal Bhuiyan, Monaem Khan Raju, Shahedul Alam Sr, Masuk Miah Jony, Emon Mahmud, Sohel Rana.
FORWARDS: Jewel Rana, Rubel Miah, Nabib Newaz Jibon, Syed Rashed Turzo.