Saintfiet fumes at players' absence

Belgian coach Tom Saintfiet yesterday expressed his displeasure following the absence of eleven national players from the ongoing training camp for the Asian Cup play-off qualifiers against Bhutan.

Five players -- Mamunul Islam, Raihan Hasan, Sohel Rana, Jewel Rana and Shahidul Alam Sohel -- who are also employees of Bangladesh Navy, skipped the afternoon training to play in the Inter-Service football final against Bangladesh Army.

With only days to go before such an important match, Saintfiet, who has been appointed on a two-month contract, was visibly enraged by the players' at the no-show of many players.

“Eleven players are not here. There is no national team in the world who can prepare seven or 11 days before a match without 11 players. Six players are in Bhutan, while five players are not here today at training. It is very unprofessional,” said Saintfiet acidly while conducting the training at Kamalapur yesterday.

Although he was aware where the players were, but he said: “I didn't give them permission. I don't agree.” He was clearly annoyed with the Bangladesh Football Federation's (BFF's) decision to allow the five players to play the final at a crucial time of the training.

And the seasoned coach, whom the BFF had to pry away from the Nigerian football team after long negotiations, has raised a very valid question.

Team manager Iqbal Hossain, who initially tried to sell a story to the reporters that the players had been rested, however admitted that the five players got the permission from the BFF to play the final.