Mamunul eager to return

Former Bangladesh captain Mamunul Islam and fellow midfielder Sohel Rana yesterday applied to the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) to withdraw suspensions from taking part for the national team, just a day after BFF vice-president Kazi Nabil Ahmed hinted that they would consider such action if the players applied.

Mamunul, Sohel along with winger Zahid Hossain and defender Yeashin Khan were handed different terms of suspension by the game's governing body, effective from March this year, due to the players' indiscipline and under-performance. While Mamunul and Zahid were handed one-year bans, Sohel and Yeasin had six-month suspensions slapped on them.

Mamunul said he was looking forward to returning to the national team soon. “I have applied to the BFF this morning admitting my mistake. I hope BFF will soon pave the way for us to return as I want to give the best for the national team,” Mamunul said.

BFF's leniency on the players' suspension is believed to be to strengthen the squad for the upcoming Asian Cup qualifying play-offs against Tajikistan next month. The game's governing body has already decided to bring back former coach Lodewijk de Kruif for this double-legged fixture. Mamunul was supportive of the decision.

“The one point we got in the World Cup qualifiers came under de Kruif, and the federation knows well who they want to give the job. My job will be to perform. Even if I could not play for Chittagong Abahani in the Independence Cup, I trained with the team regularly to keep myself fit,” added the midfielder.