The Bangladesh national football team will compete in a Three Nations series in Kyrgyzstan in early September. The series will include the host Kyrgyzstan, Palestine, and Bangladesh. Bangladesh will benefit from this competition as they prepare for the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship, which begins on October 1. Each team will face off against the other once in the series. Bangladesh will play an extra match against Kyrgyzstan's U-23 team on September 9. Coach Jamie Day picked two NRBs in this team apart from Captain Jamal Bhuiyan and Tariq Kazi. Let's take a look at the Bangladesh national football squad and fixtures for the series.
Bangladesh’s Squad for the Three Nations Series
Jamie Day's 23-man squad for the forthcoming Three Nations series has two new NRBs. They are 25-year-old forward RahbarWahed Khan and 18-year-old midfielder Tahmid Islam. RahbarWahed Khan is a member of the North Toronto Nitros in Canada, while Tahmid Islam is a player of USAA Vertou in France's fifth division.
It remains to be seen how big of an influence they will have on the Bangladesh team because none of the players has played in a top-flight league.
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Among others, MitulMarma, Rezaul Karim, Atikuzzaman, and Saad Uddin have all been called up for the first time or have returned to the national team setup.
Head coach Jamie Day skipped some notable names like Rasel Mahmud Liton, Habibur Rahman Sohag, ManikMolla, and Sumon Reza.
The country's most renowned footballer Jamal Bhuiyan will lead the Bangladesh national team. Apart from him, Topu Barman, Rahmat Mia, Mashuk Mia Johnny, and Matin Mia will be Bangladesh's important players in the series.
Kyrgyzstan and Palestine both have superior national football teams than Bangladesh. Kyrgyzstan are ranked 101, while Palestine are ranked 102 in FIFA ranking. Bangladesh are currently placed 188th in FIFA's world ranking.
We shouldn't expect Bangladesh to win the series against them. Bangladesh's main goal in this series should be to better their preparation and gain experience by playing against more skilled opponents.
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Squad:
Goalkeepers: Anisur Rahman, MitulMarma, ShahidulAlam
Defenders:Bishwanath Ghosh, Topu Barman, Yeasin Arafat, Rezaul Karim, MehediHasan, Atikuzzaman, Tariq Kazi, Rahmat Mia, RiyadulHasan
Midfielders: Jamal Bhuiyan, Rakib Hossain, Tahmid Islam, Mashuk Mia Johnny, SohelRana, Saad Uddin
Forwards:Biplu Ahmed, Mohammad Ibrahim, RahbarWahed Khan, Mahbubur Rahman, Matin Mia
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Three Nations CupSeries Fixture
A part of the Bangladesh national football squad is currently competing in the AFC Cup in the Maldives for Bashundhara Kings. Those who are now in Dhaka will depart for Bishkek on August 28. The remaining players will join the team later. The Spartak Stadium in Bishkek will host the whole series.
Date |
Match |
Time (BDT) |
September 2 |
Kyrgyzstan vs. Palestine |
8.30 pm |
September 5 |
Palestine vs. Bangladesh |
8.30 pm |
September 7 |
Kyrgyzstan vs. Bangladesh |
8.30 pm |
Others |
||
September 9 |
Kyrgyzstan U23 vs. Bangladesh |
8.30 pm |
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Verdict
The Bangladesh national football team has struggled in recent years. The BFF (Bangladesh Football Federation) should take the necessary steps to revive Bangladesh football. Bangladesh must play against quality international opponents on a regular basis if they are to progress in football.
So, BFF's decision to participate in the next month's Three Nations Cup is a good move. Bangladesh national football squad will have a lot of confidence going into the upcoming SAFF tournament if they can put up excellent performances against these two tougher opponents.
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