Day pins hopes on old faces
Bangladesh coach Jamie Day has pinned his hopes on almost the same squad which played in the Three Nation Cup in Nepal last month when picking a 28-member preliminary squad next month's World Cup Qualifiers in Qatar.
Defender Tutul Hossain Badsha was the only omission from the 24-member squad that played in Nepal. The English coach recalled fit-again centre-back Tapu Barman, in-form defender Rezaul Karim, Finland-born defender Tariq Raihan Kazi and midfielder Mohammedan Ibrahim.
The coach, however, did not have much scope in picking new players as the Bangladesh Premier League only resumed one week ago following the break after the first phase prior to the Nepal tournament.
There were five U-23 players kept as stand-by in the squad, which will fly for Qatar on May 21 or 22 after following a brief camp, starting from Monday.
"The available selected players will undergo Covid-19 tests on the first day and stay at the Inter-Continental Hotel. Other selected players will check in at the hotel after the premier league matches on May 10 and 11," national teams' committee member Satyajit Das said Rupu after the meeting.
Following Covid-19 tests of all players, the training camp will start under supervision of fitness coach Ivan Razlog and head coach Day, who is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka tomorrow night.
National teams' committee chairman and BFF vice-president Kazi Nabil Ahmed informed that they are trying to arrange two practice matches for the national team against Qatari clubs during the conditioning camp there.
Ahmed also informed that the players of Bashundhara Kings will join the other members of the squad in Qatar from Maldives after playing AFC Cup group stage matches, scheduled for May 14-20 in Male.
PRELIMINARY SQUAD
Anisur Rahman, Shahidul Alam Sohel, Ashraful Islam Rana, Saad Uddin, Rezaul Karim, Bishwanath Ghosh, Rahmat Mia, Riyadul Hasan, Yeasin Arafat, Habibur Rahman Sohag, Mehedi Hasan, Jamal Bhuiyan, Rimon Hossain, Masuk Mia Zoni, Biplu Ahmed, Mahbubur Rahman Sufil, Sohel Rana, Matin Miah, Tapu Barman, Mohammad Ibrahim, Tariq Raihan Kazi, Mehadi Hasan Royal, Mohammad Emon, Mohammad Abdullah, Manik Hossain Mollah, Rakib Hossain, Suman Reza and Mohammedan Jewel.
Standby: Mitul Marma, Mohammad Atiquzzaman, Abu Shaeid, Imran Hasan Rimon and Foysal Ahmed Fahim.
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