Jibon axed from squad ahead of FIFA friendlies

Bangladesh head coach, Javier Cabrera, announced a 27-member preliminary squad for the two upcoming FIFA international friendly matches without country's top striker Nabib Newaj Jibon.

Bangladesh are scheduled to play against Cambodia on September 22 before taking on Nepal on September 27. The players have been asked to report to team manager Iqbal Hossain tomorrow ahead of the training session on Saturday at the Police ground in Uttara, Dhaka.

The local football fraternity had already anticipated Jibon -- the top-scorer among the local players in the just-concluded domestic season, in which he struck nine goals -- to remain unpicked on disciplinary grounds again, following his failure to report timely during the Asian Cup Qualifiers. However, coach Cabrera justified Jibon's exclusion by prioritising on team's interest.

"We know very well what we want, and the profile of the players we want in the game. We have gone through our potential list of the players and we made a decision, which is this list. We feel this [squad] list fits better to our game idea," Cabrera told reporters during an official press briefing at the BFF House today.  

The 37-year-old Spaniard, however, included a new face in forward Emon Shahriar of Mohammedan Sporting Club while recalling the fit-again Tariq Raihan Kazi, Masuk Mia Jonny, Suman Reza, Matin Mia and Hemanta Vincent Bishwas, who were not part of the national set-up during the Asian Cup Qualifiers.

Meanwhile, midfielder Sohel Rana and goal-keeper Mahfuz Hasan Pritom have also staged a comeback to the preliminary squad while Mahbubur Rahman Sufil, Jafar Iqbal, Papon Singh and Miraz Hossain were excluded from the squad that played the Asian Cup Qualifiers in June.

Squad: Anisur Rahman Zico, Yeasin Arafat, Bishwanath Ghosh, Tariq Raihan Kazi, Rimon Hossain, Sohel Rana, Atiqur Rahman Fahad, Masuk Mia Jonny, Biplo Ahmed, Mohammad Ibrahim, Suman Reza, Matin Mia, Mahfuz Hasan Pritom, Tutul Hossain Badsha, Rakib Hossain, Riyadul Hasan, Jamal Bhuiyan, Faisal Ahmed Fahim, Sazzad Hossain, Ashraful Islam Rana, Rahmat Mia, Hemanto Vincent Bishwas, Mohammad Nayeem, Raihan Hasan, Emon Shahriar, Sohel Rana Jr and Isa Faysal.