SAFF final target set for Day
New coach Jamie Day has been set the target of taking Bangladesh to the SAFF Championship final, national teams' committee (NTC) chairman Kazi Nabil Ahmed revealed yesterday.
The BFF vice-president said this while speaking to media at an official press conference after an NTC meeting, two days after it was disclosed that the former Arsenal academy player has been appointed as the head coach of the national team on a one-year contract.
“We have had a conversation regarding this, and we have told him that our target will be to reach the final of the SAFF Championship in Dhaka. Since he will be in charge of a national team for the first time, we believe he will have the urge to prove his credentials,” Nabil told the media conference.
The SAAF Championship will take place from September 4 to 15 in Dhaka. Bangladesh have not gone past the group stages in the last three editions of the championship.
Although Day's most recent engagement was with a fifth-tier club in England, Nabil insisted that since the coach grew up in the Arsenal academy, he had the basics of an academy player and that the UEFA A licensed coach has been involved long enough with coaching jobs to take charge of a national team.
The Bangladesh team, which has been idle for a month and a half since the sudden departure of Andrew Ord, will reunite on May 26 at the BKSP where around 45 players will start a training camp under local coaches. The 38-year-old English coach will likely take charge after arriving here in the first week of June.
“He will arrive here in the first week of June. We will, meanwhile, work out who to appoint as assistant coach, fitness trainer and goalkeeping coach after consultation with Day,” Nabil said.
While the SAFF Championship remains the ultimate target, the men in red and green will have an immediate assignment in August when the Olympic team will play the Asian Games. The camp will likely continue till July before one or more international friendlies will be organised ahead of the Asian Games.
“We have sent letters to three or four countries of East Asia and Middle East. We will try to play one or two matches, could be at home or abroad, towards the end of July ahead of the Asian Games,” Nabil said.
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