Salahuddin urges players to give 100 percent

Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) president Kazi Salahuddin asked the national players to give their best shot against Nepal despite the lack of preparation and deficiencies in fitness.

The BFF boss, along with the high-ups of the federation, inspected a training session at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday morning as the team shifted from fitness training to tactical training ahead of the two FIFA friendlies against Nepal.  The matches are scheduled for November 13 and 17 at this venue.

"I ask you to give your 100 percent and that is all you can do," Salahuddin, who has recently been elected for a fourth term as the federation's president, told media after meeting the players.

"The big issue is lack of time. We have plans but there is a gap in fitness, which is expected. If there is seven months' gap, it should take around six months to recover," the BFF boss opined after watching the squad play a practice match among the ranks.

BFF vice-president and national teams committee chairman Kazi Nabil Ahmed hoped that these two matches will kickstart all football related activities in the country and that 'football will grow from strength to strength'. Meanwhile, all 25 players of the Nepal team returned negative Covid-19 tests yesterday. The Nepal team, which arrived in Dhaka on Thursday, had stretching sessions in the last two days at the team hotel, where they are quarantined. The team is expected to end its three-day quarantine and start training from today.