English Premier League footballer Hamza Choudhury has been cleared to play for Bangladesh in international football. Now all he has to do is wait to see his name in the squad.
The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) confirmed the matter in a press release on Thursday.
In a video message, Hamza said, “Everything is going well. I am eagerly waiting to play for Bangladesh. Hopefully, we will see each other soon.”
He wrote on his Instagram on Thursday evening 7:15 pm, stating “Of course, England is my home, but so is Bangladesh. To return to my homeland and represent the people I grew up with is above all else for me. I feel very happy and proud of it.”
Hamza Dewan Choudhury’s family is Bangladeshi, but he grew up in England. His family wanted Hamza to play for Bangladesh. Although discussions have been going on for several years, BFF and Hamza officially started working on the issue this year.
Hamza has already received his Bangladeshi passport. On September 24, the FA gave him a no-objection letter to play for Bangladesh. As a next step, BFF applied to FIFA's Player Status Committee. They have received an official letter from this committee.
Hamza currently plays for Leicester City in the English Premier League. He wants to play for the Bangladesh national team due to his Bangladeshi origin and his own willingness. Hamza has previously played for the England youth team.
Hamza is likely to make his debut in the Bangladesh jersey in the Asian Cup qualifiers against India on March 25 next year.
Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque
