Bangladesh Youth and Sports adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain is set to meet Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) president Tabith Awal on Wednesday to discuss the exclusion of Italy-based Bangladeshi footballer Fahamedul Islam from the national team.
Bangladesh national team head coach Javier Cabrera said on Tuesday that Fahamedul would need more time to adapt to the squad.
Fahamedul, the Bangladeshi-origin Italian footballer who earned his first call-up to Cabrera’s preliminary squad and trained with the team in Taif, Saudi Arabia, did not return to Dhaka with the national team after being left out of the final squad.
A group of Bangladeshi football fans protested in front of the BFF building on Tuesday, alleging a "syndicate conspiracy" behind Fahamedul’s exclusion. They later continued their protest outside the team hotel in the evening.
"On Wednesday, the Sports adviser will meet the BFF president regarding Fahamedul’s issue. Fahamedul, who plays in Serie D in Italy, was included in the preliminary squad for the match against India but returned home after joining the camp in Saudi Arabia, as he was not selected for the final squad. A large group of fans protested his exclusion and raised concerns, prompting the Sports adviser to meet with the BFF president," read a statement posted on Sajib Bhuiyan’s official Facebook page late on Wednesday.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
