The 8th edition of the SAFF Men’s Under-20 Championship is set to kick off in the Maldives from 23 March, and Bangladesh is intensifying its preparations with a strengthened squad.
In a move aimed at boosting the team’s competitiveness, the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) has officially decided to bring in several foreign-based Bangladeshi-origin footballers, turning earlier speculation into confirmed reality.
BFF Vice President Fahad Karim said that six expatriate footballers have been called up to join the Bangladesh Under-20 national team camp ahead of the regional tournament.
Among the six invitees, five are familiar names. Three of them England-based Ibrahim Nawaz and USA-based duo Bitoshoke Chakma and Amir Sami—had previously taken part in the expatriate footballers’ trials held in Dhaka in June last year.
Also included are Farzad Aftab, who currently plays in the fifth tier of Croatian football, and Kadir Abdul, featuring in the sixth tier of the Italian football system. Both players were part of Bangladesh’s Under-20 squad in last year’s SAFF Championship.
The list is completed by a new face, Shushrata Mondol, an 18-year-old right-back playing in the Canadian college league. This will be his first-ever Called up to Bangladesh, marking a significant milestone in his young career.
If all goes according to plan, the expatriate footballers are expected to arrive in Dhaka by the end of February or the first week of March, where they will link up with the rest of the squad as Bangladesh gears up for the SAFF Men’s Under-20 Championship.
bd-pratidin/GR
