Youths preferred in Jamie Day’s squad
Bangladesh Football Federation yesterday named a 25-member preliminary squad for the national team’s first match of the joint qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup and the 2023 Asian Cup against Afghanistan, with an eye on the future by making a number of changes to the squad from the pre-qualifiers against Laos in June.
Six players including one new face have been added to the squad from the Laos fixtures while four players from that squad have been left out.
Goalkeeper Shahidul Alam Sohel, midfielders Saad Uddin and Jewel Rana – all three from Abahani – along with Bashundhara Kings defender Nurun Nayeem Faisal and Sheikh Jamal defender Manjurur Rahman Manik made a return to the squad while Saif Sporting Club defender Yeasin Arafat has been included in the squad for the first time. The four players who have been left out from the previous squad are: Bashundhara Kings defender Nasir Uddin Chowdhury, midfielder Emon Babu, forward Tawhidul Alam Sabuj and Arambagh goalkeeper Mazharul Islam Himel.
It is believed that head coach Jamie Day, who will return from England on August 19 and start the preparation camp a week later, prepared the list after having followed most of the matches of the second phase of the Bangladesh Premier League on video streaming services.
All four players who have been left out are veterans while five added players except for goalkeeper Shahidul Alam are young ones. It is understood that this squad is part of the coach’s plans to add more young blood to the team while phasing out the older ones, who have not been in exceptional form and are not as agile as the younger ones.
The exclusions of Nasiruddin, Emon and Sabuj are a bit of a surprise though as they were all in relatively decent form and have big-match experience. However, the coach is of the opinion that the ones that got nods ahead of these players have deserved their call-ups.
“Nasir has been a fantastic servant and a player I admire, but he is not getting any younger. The younger ones are the future with experience around them. I still believe Emon can play for the national team again, but at the moment, I feel there are a few players in front of him in his position. I think Sabuj has a future in national team but unfortunately he hasn’t played enough games and other players in his position are more match fit,” Day told reporters in a social media exchange yesterday.
The 25-man squad is expected to be trimmed to 23 members prior to the team’s departure for Tajikistan on September 1, where the qualifying match against Afghanistan will be held on September 10.
Although the preparation camp is expected to begin on either August 25 or 26 in Dhaka, the coach will have all the players at his disposal on August 30 following the completion of the AFC Cup inter-zone playoff semifinal of Abahani, who have seven members in the 25-man squad. Bangladesh Premier League champions Bashundhara Kings also have seven members while Sheikh Russel and Saif Sporting have four players each in the squad. Arambagh have two players while Sheikh Jamal have one player in the 25-man squad.
SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Ashraful Islam Rana, Shahidul Alam Sohel, Anisur Rahman Zico
Defenders: Tutul Hossain Badsha, Shushanto Tripura, Rahmat Mia, Monjurur Rahman Manik, Yeasin Khan, Bishwanath Ghosh, Yeasin Arafat, Nurun Naim Faisal, Riyadul Hasan
Midfielders and strikers: Mashuk Miah Johnny, Jamal Bhuiyan, Mamunul Islam, Sohel Rana, Rabiul Hasan, Biplo Ahmed, Arifur Rahman, Mohammad Ibrahim, Nabib Newaz Jibon, Mahbubur Rahman Sufil, Matin Miah, Saad Uddin, Jewel Rana