A contingent of the national football team, including 27 footballers, left Dhaka for Saudi Arabia today (March 5) to complete their preparation for the much-hyped game against India in the hilly area of Taif.
Defender Rahmat Mia didn’t fly with the team due to visa delay but told the reporters that he would leave Dhaka tomorrow.
"I have not got my visa on time, so I have to go tomorrow (Thursday)," he said on Wednesday.
The men in red and green will play their first match (away) of the AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers third (final) round against India on March 25 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong.
Taif, a city in the Mecca Province, is situated at an altitude of 1,879m (6,165ft) above sea level while Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya, is situated at an altitude of 1,520m (4,990ft) above sea level.
“We are going to Taif at as you know, it is 1800m altitude. So that is going to match which is good for us to train in Taif because of that, two weeks in there is going to prepare the team in that aspect. I think we are gonna reach in the right moment,” Bangladesh head coach Javier Cabrera said before leaving Dhaka.
Bangladesh are expecting to play three practice matches during their camp in Saudi Arabia – the first match against Sudan national team on March 8 and the other two matches against local teams of Taif before their return on March 17.
The men in red and green will fly to India on March 20.
Bd-Pratidin English/ARK
