The preliminary squad of the Bangladesh national football team returned home from Saudi Arabia Tuesday morning after a 12-day intensive training camp in the Saudi city of Taif ahead of their AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers against India, reports UNB.
However, Italian league forward Fahamedul Islam, who was included in the 30-member Bangladesh preliminary squad alongside Hamza Chowdhury, joined the national training camp in Taif and played a preparatory match with a local team but did not accompany the team back to Bangladesh on Tuesday.
Fahamedul returned to Italy from Saudi Arabia after Bangladesh's head coach, Javier Cabrera, decided not to consider him for the 23-member final national squad, stating, "He needed more time to join the national side."
Bangladesh will play their first match of the AFC Asian Cup Qualifier against giant neighbor India on March 25 at 7:30 p.m. at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in the hilly city of Shillong, India.
The Bangladesh national football team will fly to Kolkata en route to Shillong on Thursday (Mar 20) morning for the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers against India on March 25.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh-origin English Premier League footballer Hamza Dewan Chowdhury arrived in Sylhet on Monday afternoon amid great enthusiasm among fans.
Hamza, accompanied by his mother, wife, three children, and two brothers, reached Sylhet from Manchester on a Bangladesh Biman flight on Monday afternoon and directly traveled to his village residence in Syananghat, under Bahubal Upazila of Habiganj district.
After staying one day at his village residence, Hamza is scheduled to move to Dhaka tonight (Tuesday) to join the Bangladesh national football team camp.
Hamza will appear at the Bangladesh team's official press conference at the team hotel (Intercontinental Hotel) in Dhaka on Wednesday (March 19) and will address the press alongside the team coach and team captain.
The full squad of the Bangladesh national team, including Hamza Chowdhury, is expected to take part in the final practice session on Wednesday afternoon or evening after the team's official photo session.
Apart from Fahamedul, two more players – Papon Singh and Sushanto Tripura – were injured in Saudi Arabia and are likely to be excluded from the team.
Besides, Topu Barman and Tariq Raihan Kazi are not fully fit.
Bangladesh preliminary squad:
Goalkeepers: Mitul Marma, Sujon Hossain, and Mehdi Hasan Srabon.
Defenders: Shakil Ahad, Shakil Hossain, Rahmat Mia, Isa Faisal, Mohammad Tajuddin, Tariq Raihan Kazi, Topu Barman, Saad Uddin, Sushanto Tripura, Mohammad Ridoy, Papon Singh and Syed Shah Quazem Kirmranee
Midfielders: Md Sohel Rana, Sohel Rana, Chandon Roy, Mojibar Rahman Jony, Shekh Morsalin, Jamal Bhuyan, Hamza Dewan Chowdhury, Foysal Ahmed Fahim.
Forwards: Rakib Hossain, Shahriar Emon, Mohammad Ibrahim, Arif Hossain, Al Amin, Piash Ahmad Nova, and Fahamedul Islam.
Bd-Pratidin English/ AM
