Football
FIFA World Cup 2026 2nd Round Qualifiers: BAN vs AUS Match Preview
Bangladesh will face Australia in the FIFA World Cup 2026 second-round qualifier. The match will take place on November 16 at 3 pm Bangladesh time. Australia will host the match in Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, and Bangladesh will host the second leg of this match.
Preview of BAN vs. AUS FIFA World Cup 2026 Second Round Qualifiers
Bangladesh beat Maldives to confirm their placement in the second-round qualifier of World Cup selection. In this phase of the World Cup qualifiers, Bangladesh will have the opportunity to play 6 home and away matches. The World Cup qualifiers start this month which will last more than a year and a half.
Bangladesh advanced to the second round of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers after defeating the Maldives in the first round by a margin of 3-2 in two matches. Now, they’re moving on to the second round, where 36 teams are divided into 9 groups. Bangladesh is in Group I with Australia, Lebanon, and Palestine as their opponents. They’ll play six matches in total, facing each team both at home and away.
Read more: Bangladesh football team start training session ahead of FIFA World Cup qualifiers
Australia is a dominating team, and it’s likely they’ll play aggressively against Bangladesh. It’s crucial that Bangladesh maintain a strong fighting spirit. Each player needs to focus on giving their best performance and ensure there’s no lack of effort on their part.
The Bangladesh team has been actively involved in the game for the past few months. Following two drawn international friendlies against Afghanistan in September, some of the national team players participated in the U-23 side at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. In October, Bangladesh played two matches in the preliminary phase of the World Cup qualifiers against Maldives. Overall, the team’s recent performance has been promising and positive.
On the other hand, Australia has been a consistent participant in the FIFA World Cup since 2006. They currently hold the 27th position in the FIFA rankings, a significant 156 spots ahead of Bangladesh, which is ranked 183rd. In the recent World Cup in Qatar, Australia performed well by defeating Denmark and Tunisia in Group D, earning a spot in the last 16. Although they faced a setback with a 2-1 loss against the eventual champions Argentina, their performance in the tournament was remarkable.
After the World Cup, Australia played six friendly matches and won two of them while drawing one against Mexico. So, playing against such a team will be difficult for Bangladesh, and they are the underdog here.
Read more: Bangladesh team to leave for Melbourne to play Australia in FIFA World Cup qualifiers
BAN vs. AUS Head-To-Head Football Matches So Far
Bangladesh has encountered Australia twice before. In the 2015 World Cup qualifiers, the Red and Green team suffered losses of 5-0 in Perth on September 3, 2015, and 4-0 in Dhaka on November 17, 2015. Jamal Bhuiyan played in both matches for Bangladesh. They will meet Australia for the third time on November 16. The Bangladesh team expresses confidence, noting that compared to the squad from 8 years ago, there are some differences in the team this time.
Australia Squad Against Bangladesh
Australia’s national football team (Socceroos) has announced a 23-man squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Bangladesh and Palestine, incorporating an experimental approach. Fourteen players in the squad did not participate in Australia’s Qatar World Cup campaign. The matches are scheduled for November 16 and 22, and the squad includes two debutants.
Western Sydney Wanderers’ striker Kusini Yengi has been unexpectedly selected after scoring five goals in nine matches for League One leaders Portsmouth. Charlton goalkeeper Ashley Maynard-Brewer is also included as a backup to Mat Ryan.
Australia Team
Mat Ryan, Joe Gauci, Ashley Maynard-Brewer, Aziz Behich, Jordy Bos, Cameron Burgess, Alessandro Circati, Lewis Miller, Kye Rowles, Harry Souttar, Ryan Strain, Keanu Baccus, Jackson Irvine, Massimo Luongo, Connor Metcalfe, Aiden O’Neill, Brandon Borrello, Martin Boyle, Mitch Duke, Craig Goodwin, Jamie Maclaren, Sam Silvera, Kusini Yengi.
Bangladesh’s Probable Squad
Bangladesh’s preparation for the upcoming match against Australia is focused on a determined fight. However, the preparation process is still incomplete, even on the eve of their departure to Australia. Thirty players were called to the camp, but the final team of 23 players scheduled to go to Melbourne is yet to be confirmed by Coach Javier Fernández Cabrera. The coach is uncertain about the inclusion of one or two players, causing a delay in the decision-making process. However, here is our predicted squad.
Anisur Rahman Zico, Shahidul Alam Sohel, Topu Barman, Rimon Hossain, Tutul Hossain Badsha, Mohamed Atikuzzaman, Mehedi Hasan Mithu, Mohammed Jahid Hasan, Tanvir Hossain, Masuk Mia Jony, Hemanta Vincent Biswas, Papon Singh, Abu Shaeid, Motin Mia, Aminur Rahman Sajib, Sazzad Hossain, Shahriar Emon, Eleta Kingsley, Sarower Zaman Nipu, Jafar Iqbal, Mojibur Rahman Jony and Mohammad Ibrahim.
Read more: World Cup Qualifiers: BFF announces 23-member squad to fly Australia Friday night
Bangladeshi Footballers to Watch
Rakib Hossain
In the second leg of the World Cup qualifying play-off against Maldives, Bangladesh scored a goal at the beginning of the match. Forward Rakib Hossain scored a goal in the 11th minute of the match that led Bangladesh to a 1-0 scoreline, which eventually boosted confidence in the team. Rakib played 34 matches for Bangladesh and scored 4 goals.
Isa Faysal
Debuted on June 25, 2023, 24-year-old Isa Faysal is the most valuable player for Bangladesh with a €225k market value. He played a total of 7 matches for Bangladesh.
Australian Footballers to Watch
Harry Souttar
Harry Souttar is one of the star players of the Australian national football team as well as for Leicester City. He played 19 games for Australia and scored 8 goals so far.
Mathew Ryan
Australian football team captain and goalkeeper Mat Ryan has appeared in 83 matches for Australia. Although he has conceded 81 goals so far, Ryan kept 33 clean sheets. So, he will certainly become a great wall for the Australian goalpost. In his more than 10 years of career, Ryan got a yellow card only once.
Final Words
Team Bangladesh left for Melbourne on November 11, 2023, after the day-long training. While Australia, ranked 27th globally, presents a tough opponent, Bangladesh remains optimistic despite being the underdog. It is expected that the Bangladesh vs. Australia match in the FIFA World Cup 2026 second-round qualifier round will be competitive and interesting.
Read more: Bangladesh’s matches in the 2nd Round Qualifiers of FIFA World Cup 2026: Schedules, Fixtures, Team
Van der Dussen leads South Africa to Cricket World Cup win over Afghanistan
Rassie van der Dussen’s 14th ODI half-century helped South Africa beat Afghanistan by five wickets at the Cricket World Cup on Friday.
Van der Dussen scored 76 not out off 95 balls as the Proteas finished with 247-5 in 47.3 overs. Earlier, Gerald Coetzee took 4-44 to help bowl out Afghanistan for 244.
Second-place South Africa finishes the league stage with 14 points from seven wins across nine games. Australia can leapfrog the Proteas after its final match against Bangladesh on Saturday.
South Africa seems set to take on Australia in the second semifinal in Kolkata on Nov. 16. Table-topper India is poised to face fourth-place New Zealand in the first semi in Mumbai, unless Pakistan can overhaul the Black Caps in unlikely fashion by substantially improving its net run-rate in its final game against England on Saturday.
Afghanistan is sixth in the table with eight points, its best finish in a World Cup. The rank outsiders, who had only one previous World Cup victory across 2015 and 2019, notched up four wins against England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Netherlands to light up the tournament.
Quinton de Kock cemented his place in first position in the run-scorers’ chart, scoring 41 off 47 balls at the top of South Africa's order. He hit two fours and three sixes, but Van der Dussen anchored the innings and built good partnerships in the middle overs.
Wrist spinner Rashid Khan, who plays in the Indian Premier League for Gujarat Titans at the same Narendra Modi Stadium, picked up 2-37 in 10 overs.
Andile Phehlukwayo, coming in for the rested Marco Jansen, made full use of the opportunity as he smacked 39 not out off 37 balls. He hit three sixes and put on an unbeaten 65 with Van der Dussen.
Earlier, Afghanistan started off poorly with the bat, slumping to 45-3 in 10.5 overs.
But Azmatullah Omarzai came to the rescue, striking an unbeaten 97 in 107 balls, hitting seven fours and three sixes.
Afghanistan had won the toss and opted to bat first. It fielded an unchanged side while South Africa made two changes, Phehlukwayo for Jansen and Coetzee replacing wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamsi.
World Cup Qualifiers: BFF announces 23-member squad to fly Australia Friday night
Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) on Friday announced a 23-member final national squad which is due to fly for Melbourne tonight (Friday night) at 11 pm to play Australia in their first qualification round-2 match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 hoping to play with fighting spirit.
Touring Bangladesh will play their 2nd round Group I away match against the World Cup playing stronger Australia in Melbourne on Nov 16.
Soon after returning from Australia, Bangladesh team will play their home match of the World Cup Qualifiers against Lebanon on November 21 at Bashundhara Kings Arena in Dhaka.
Meanwhile, BFF President Kazi Salahuddin visited the residential camp of the national team at the team hotel and inspired and briefed the national booters on Friday on eve of their departure.
Read: Bangladesh team to leave for Melbourne to play Australia in FIFA World Cup qualifiers
Later, the Spanish Head Coach of Bangladesh team Javier Cabrera announced the 23- member final squad including forward Shekh Morsalin.
Forward Shekh Morsalin, who was earlier temporarily suspended by his club Bashundhara Kings, included in the 23- member Australia bound final squad in place of Motin Mia.
Seven out of 30 preliminarily selected booters--custodian Mahfuz Hasan Pritom, defender Riyadul Hasan, Alomgir Mollah, midfielder Chandan Roy and forward Dipok Roy, Arman Foysal Akash and Rahimuddin --were dropped from the 23-member final squad.
Bangladesh played Australia on two occasions earlier under the present captain Jamal Bhuyan in the qualification round of the 2015 FIFA World Cup.
Read: AFC Cup Football: Bashundhara Kings taste first-ever victory over Mohun Bagan
Bangladesh suffered 0-5 goals defeat in their away match in Perth and conceded 0-4 goals defeat against them in home match in Dhaka.
Australia was eliminated from the last FIFA World Cup in Qatar losing to World Champions Argentina by 1-2 goals.
Earlier in a pre tour press conference at the Bashundhara Kings Arena Thursday, the Spanish Head Coach of Bangladesh team Javier Cabrera said, It will be a positive sign for us if we will be able to play good and fighting football against them (Australia) on their soil.
"Our mentally is very important rather than the result, Australia will dominate over us, but we have to maintain our present form and fighting spirit against them, he added.
Bangladesh captain Jamal Bhuyan said, "we want play a good football (against Australia), we are confident of our ability and about the match, although Australia is far far better than us in ranking and strength".
Read: Bangladesh football team start training session ahead of FIFA World Cup qualifiers
"Recently, we are playing a good football, we beat Maldives, played good football against Afghanistan, It's very important for us to perform against Australia with our fighting spirit," Bangladesh captain further added.
Bangladesh earned the rights to play in the six-match home and away basis Group I matches of the FIFA World Cup's Asian qualifiers with Australia, Lebanon and Palestine eliminating the Maldives in the round 1 match last month.
23- member final squad of Bangladesh-
Goalkeepers: Mitul Marma, Mehdi Hassan Srabon, and Pappu Hossain
Defenders: Bishwanath Ghosh, Hasan Murad, Tareq Raihan Kazi, Rahmat Mia, Isa Faysal, Shakil Hossain and Saad Uddin
Midfielders: Sohel Rana, Shekh Morsalin, Mohammad Ridoy, Md Sohel Rana, Mojibor Rahman Jony, Rabiul Hasan, Jamal Bhuyan and Jayed Ahmed;
Forwards: Rakib Hossain, Sumon Reza, Foysal Ahmed Fahim, Rafiqul Islam and Mohammad Ibrahim.
Bangladesh team to leave for Melbourne to play Australia in FIFA World Cup qualifiers
Bangladesh National Football team will leave for Melbourne on Friday night to play against hosts Australia in the first qualification round-2 match of the FIFA World Cup' 2026 in a hope to display their fighting spirit.
After conducting the final practice session at Bashundhara Kings Arena Friday afternoon, the team will fly to Melbourne in Australia on the same night.
Touring Bangladesh will play their 2nd round Group I away match against the World Cup playing stronger Australia in Melbourne on Nov 16.
Soon after returning from Australia, Bangladesh team will play their home match of the World Cup Qualifiers against Lebanon on November 21 at Bashundhara Kings Arena in Dhaka.
Bangladesh had earlier played Australia on two occasions under the present captain Jamal Bhuyan in the qualification round of the 2015 FIFA World Cup.
Bangladesh suffered 0-5 goals defeat in their awar match in Perth and conceded 0-4 goals defeat against them in home match in Dhaka.
Australia was eliminated from the last FIFA World Cup in Qatar losing to World Champions Argentina by 1-2 goals.
In a pre-tour press conference at the Bashundhara Kings Arena on Thursday, the Spanish Head Coach of Bangladesh team Javier Cabrera said, It will be a positive sign for us to play good football against them (Australia) on their soil.
"Our mentality is very important rather than the result, Australia will dominate us, but we have to maintain our present form with a fighting spirit against them, " he said.
Bangladesh captain Jamal Bhuyan said, "We want to play a good football (against Australia). We are confident about our ability and the match, although Australia is far better than us in ranking and strength."
"Recently, we are playing good football, we beat the Maldives, played good football against Afghanistan. It's very important for us to perform against Australia with our fighting spirit" the Bangladesh captain added.
Bangladesh earned the rights to play in the six-match home and away basis Group I matches of the FIFA World Cup's Asian qualifiers with Australia, Lebanon and Palestine eliminating the Maldives in the round 1 match last month.
AFC Cup Football: Bashundhara Kings taste first-ever victory over Mohun Bagan
Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) champions Bashundhara Kings tasted their first-ever victory against Indian Super League side Mohun Bagan Super Giant of Kolkata in a vital Group D match of the AFC Cup Football at the floodlight Bashundhara Kings Arena in Dhaka on Tuesday evening.
With the day's well-deserved victory, Bangladesh Champions Kings not only celebrated their maiden victory over Indian giant Kolkata Mohun Bagan Club, but also shared the top slot in Group D with Mohun Bagan securing seven points each from four matches.
AFC Cup Football: Bashundhara Kings to play Kolkata Mohun Bagan Tuesday
Incidentally, it was the first defeat for Mohun Bagan Club in their fourth match of the ongoing AFC Cup Football.
This was also the maiden victory for the Dhaka giants Kings against the Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan since their first meeting four years ago in Male in August 2021 in the AFC Cup Football.
AFC Cup Football: Bashundhara Kings beat Indian champions Odisha FC by 3-2 goals
Mohun Bagan Club played a 1-1 draw with the Kings in the AFC Cup in Male in August 2021, outplayed the Kings 4-0 in the AFC Cup in Kolkata in May 2022, and drew 2-2 also in the AFC Cup match at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, on October 24, 2023. In the day's nail-biting match, Indian national forward Liston Colaco put Mohun Bagan Super Giant ahead in the 17th minute by a straight shot from danger zone melee, much to the frustration of huge home fans (1-0).
Brazilian midfielder Miguel Figueira levelled the margin for the Bashundhara Kings in the 44th minute with a power-packed angular shot from the danger zone that kissed the net through the 2nd bar (1-1).
AFC Cup Football: Bashundhara Kings suffer frustrating 1-3 goal defeat against Maziya SRC
Captain Robson Robinho finally made a party for the Kings, scoring the match-winning goal in the 80th minute with a ground-placed shot (2-1) from the danger zone (2-1).
Kings earned a deserving victory in the match, playing an entertaining match in front of a large home crowd.
Bashundhara Kings, which were placed in four-team Group D of the AFC Cup with Odisha FC, Mohun Bagan Club of India, and Maziya SRC of the Maldives, had already played four matches.
The Kings beat Odisha FC by 3-2 goals in their home match in Dhaka, lost to Maziya in their away match by 1-3 goals in Male, and played a 2-2 draw with Mohun Bagan Club in Odisha, apart from today's 2-1 win in the home match against Mohun Bagan Club.
Each of the Group D teams of the AFC Cup 2023–24, a 2nd-tier Asian Continental Club Football Competition after the AFC Champions League, will play the other three teams in a home-and-away round-robin format.
Later, the table-toppers will progress to the AFC Cup inter-zone play-off semi-finals.
Bangladesh’s matches in the 2nd Round Qualifiers of FIFA World Cup 2026: Schedules, Fixtures, Team
The Bangladesh football team secured their spot in the second round of qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup by beating Maldives 3-2 over two matches in the pre-qualifiers. This victory means that Bangladesh will have the opportunity to participate in more international matches in the next three years. Let’s take a look at Bangladesh’s opponents along with match schedules and fixtures in the next round.
Bangladesh's Matches in FIFA World Cup 2026 Second Round Qualifiers: Schedules, Fixtures, Team
Over the next three years, Bangladesh will have a chance to participate in at least 12 international matches in the FIFA World Cup and Asian Cup qualifiers. Bangladesh will face Australia, Palestine, and Lebanon in the second round of the World Cup pre-qualifiers.
This is the last stage of World Cup pre-qualification. There are a total of 9 groups here. Bangladesh is placed in Group I, alongside Australia, Palestine, and Lebanon. Out of these 9 groups (Group A to Group I), the top two teams from each group – a total of 18 teams – will advance to the next round of the World Cup qualifiers.
These 18 teams will get tickets for the 2027 Asian Cup directly. Considering Bangladesh’s football potentials and the reality, it must be said that it is very difficult to be in the top two from the group.
Read more: Bangladesh qualify for 2nd round of FIFA World Cup Qualifiers beating Maldives by 2-1 goals
Table: Bangladesh’s Matches in the Second Round Qualifiers of FIFA WORLD CUP 2026
Date and Time (Bangladesh Time)
Match
Venue
November 16, 2023; 3:00 PM
Australia vs Bangladesh
Melbourne Rectangular Stadium
November 21, 2023; 5:45 PM
Bangladesh vs Lebanon
Bashundhara Kings Arena, Dhaka
March 21, 2024; Time to be announced
Bangladesh vs Palestine
Venue to be announced
March 26, 2024; Time to be announced
Palestine vs Bangladesh
Venue to be announced
June 6, 2024; Time to be announced
Bangladesh vs Australia
Venue to be announced
June 11, 2024; Time to be announced
Lebanon vs Bangladesh
Venue to be announced
Bangladesh’s Performance in the First Round of FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers
Bangladesh played two matches against Maldives in the first round of FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers. The first match took place on October 12, and the second match was on October 17.
Bangladesh drew against the Maldives in the 2026 Football World Cup qualifier playoffs’ first match. Jamal Bhuiyan’s team left the field with a last-minute goal to draw 1-1 in the first leg.
Bangladesh football team start training session ahead of FIFA World Cup qualifiers
The Bangladesh National Football team started their training session ahead of the qualification round-2 matches of the FIFA World Cup' 2026 at the Bashundhara Kings Arena in Dhaka on Monday evening .
Bangladesh will play their second round Group I away match against the World Cup against a stronger Australia in Melbourne on November 16.
Booters to fly for Melbourne on Friday to play qualification round of FIFA World Cup 2026
Bangladesh is likely to fly for Melbourne on November 10 after conducting a short training camp in Dhaka under Spanish Head Coach Javier Cabrera before their final practice session in Melbourne.
Soon after returning from Australia, the Bangladesh team will play their home match of the AFC Cup against Lebanon on November 21 at Bashundhara Kings Arena in Dhaka.
Bangladesh qualify for 2nd round of FIFA World Cup Qualifiers beating Maldives by 2-1 goals
Bangladesh earned the rights to play in the six-match home and away basis Group I matches of the FIFA World Cup's Asian qualifiers with Australia, Lebanon, and Palestine, eliminating the Maldives in the round 1 match last month.
Earlier, the preliminary selected booters of the Bangladesh team, except the booters of Bashundhara King, reported to team manager Amer Khan on Monday morning at the Hotel Amari in the capital to join the residential camp.
FIFA World Cup: Bangladesh to play Maldives in a do or die match on Tuesday
Bangladesh team captain Jamal Bhuyan, who is playing in the 3rd Division Football League in Argentina, reached Dhaka Monday morning to join the national camp.
Members of Bangladesh squad:
Goalkeepers: Mitul Marma, Mehdi Hassan Srabon, Pappu Hossain and Mahfuz Hassan Pritom..Defenders: Bishwanath Ghosh, Hasan Murad, Tareq Raihan Kazi, Rahmat Mia, Alomgir Mollah, Isa Faysal, Shakil Hossain, Saad Uddin, and Riadul Hassan
Midfielders: Sohel Rana, Shekh Morsalin, Mohammad Ridoy, Md Sohel Rana, Mojibor Rahman Jony, Rabiul Hasan, Chandan Roy, Jamal Bhuyan, and Jayed Ahmed;
Forwards: Rakib Hossain, Sumon Reza, Rahim Uddin, Foysal Ahmed Fahim, Dipok Roy, Arman Foysal Akash, Rafiqul Islam, and Mohammad Ibrahim.
AFC Cup Football: Bashundhara Kings to play Kolkata Mohun Bagan Tuesday
Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) champions Bashundhara Kings will play Indian Super League side Mohun Bagan Super Giants of Kolkata in a vital Group D match of the AFC Cup Football on Tuesday evening.
The key match between the two football giants of Dhaka and Kolkata will begin at 8:00 pm at the Bashundhara Kings Arena in the capital.
AFC Cup Football: Bashundhara Kings beat Indian champions Odisha FC by 3-2 goals
Kolkata Mohun Bagan Club topped the four-team Group D list with an unbeaten score, securing seven points from three matches with two wins and a draw, while Bashundhara Kings followed the leader, collecting four points from three matches with one win, one draw, and one defeat.
The two teams have played each other on three occasions since their first meeting in Male in August 2021, where Mohun Bagan Club were in the upper hand with one win and two draws against the Kings and two draws and a defeat.
AFC Cup Football: Bashundhara Kings suffer frustrating 1-3 goal defeat against Maziya SRC
Mohun Bagan Club played a 1-1 draw with the Kings in the AFC Cup in Male in August 2021, outplayed the Kings 4-0 in the AFC Cup in Kolkata in May 2022, and drew 2-2 also in the AFC Cup match at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, on October 24, 2023.
In the ongoing AFC Cup,Kolkata Mohun Bagan Club dropped their first points in their previous match, a 2-2 draw with the Bashundhara Kings at their home venue of Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, on October 24.
AFC Cup Football: Bashundhara Kings drawn in Group D with Odisha FC, Maziya SRC, Mohun Bagan SG
Meanwhile, in a pre-match press conference at the conference room of Bashundhara Kings Arena on Monday, both teams expressed their optimism about winning the match by playing entertaining football.
Head coach of the Kings, Oscar Bruzon, captain Robson Robinho, head coach of Mohun Bagan Club, Juan Fernando, and captain Subhasish Bose spoke on the occasion.
Both teams also made their final practices at the match venue, Bashundhara Kings Arena, here Monday evening.
Bashundhara Kings, which were placed in four-team Group D of the AFC Cup with Odisha FC, Mohun Bagan Club of India, and Maziya SRC of the Maldives, had already played three matches.
The Kings beat Odisha FC by 3-2 goals in their home match in Dhaka and lost to Maziya in their away match by 1-3 goals in Male, apart from a 2-2 draw with Mohun Bagan Club in Odisha.
Each of the Group D teams of the AFC Cup 2023–24, a 2nd-tier Asian Continental Club Football Competition after the AFC Champions League, will play the other three teams in a home-and-away round-robin format.
Later, the table-toppers will progress to the AFC Cup inter-zone play-off semi-finals.
Booters to fly for Melbourne on Friday to play qualification round of FIFA World Cup 2026
Bangladesh National Football team will fly for Melbourne on Friday (Nov 10) to play the group stage qualification round-2 match of the FIFA World Cup' 2026.
FIFA World Cup: Bangladesh to play Maldives in qualification match on Thursday
Bangladesh will play their 2nd round Group I away match against the World Cup playing stronger Australia in Melbourne on Nov 16.
Soon after returning from Australia, Bangladesh team will play their home match against Lebanon on November 21 at Bashundhara Kings Arena in Dhaka.
Earlier, Bangladesh earned the rights to play in the six-match home and away basis Group I matches of the FIFA World Cup's Asian qualifiers with Australia, Lebanon and Palestine eliminating the Maldives in the round 1 match last month.
FIFA World Cup: Bangladesh to play Maldives in a do or die match on Tuesday
Meanwhile, the Spanish Head Coach Bangladesh team Javier Cabrera on Sunday announced a 30 -member preliminary squad of Bangladesh for the two matches against Australia and Lebanon.
Members of Bangladesh squad:
Goalkeepers: Mitul Marma, Mehdi Hassan Srabon, Pappu Hossain and Mahfuz Hassan Pritom;.
Defenders: Bishwanath Ghosh, Hasan Murad, Tareq Raihan Kazi, Rahmat Mia, Alomgir Mollah, Isa Faysal, Shakil Hossain, Saad Uddin andvRiadul Hassan;
Midfielders: Sohel Rana, Shekh Morsalin, Mohammad Ridoy, Md Sohel Rana, Mojibor Rahman Jony, Rabiul Hasan, Chandan Roy, Jamal Bhuyan and Jayed Ahmed;
Bangladesh qualify for 2nd round of FIFA World Cup Qualifiers beating Maldives by 2-1 goals
Forwards: Rakib Hossain, Sumon Reza, Rahim Uddin, Foysal Ahmed Fahim, Dipok Roy, Arman Foysal Akash, Rafiqul Islam and Mohammad Ibrahim.
Selected players, except the booters of Bashundhara Kings, have been asked to report to team manager Amer Khan on Monday (Nov 6) at 11.30 am at the Hotel Amari in the capital to join the residential camp
Man City, Bayern, Madrid and Barcelona can advance in Champions League by extending perfect starts
The Champions League is a showcase of the world’s best club teams and, this week, possible respite for others enduring painful seasons.
Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid all can advance to the Champions League round of 16 with a fourth straight win in their groups. Each is at home against an opponent it beat on the road three weeks ago.
It is a different story for their domestic rivals Manchester United, Union Berlin and Sevilla.
In Manchester, the divide between City and United was clear when the defending European and English champion coasted to a 3-0 win at Old Trafford last weekend. United has stunningly lost five home games already this season, though did scratch out a 1-0 win against Copenhagen, which it plays Wednesday in Denmark.
Bayern has won 16 straight group-stage games in the Champions League and has not lost one since 2017. On Saturday, Bayern humiliated Borussia Dortmund 4-0 in its own stadium, fired by Harry Kane's third hat trick of the season.
Union Berlin is on a 12-match losing streak since Sept. 3, including all three so far in its Champions League debut season. It gets no easier at Napoli on Wednesday.
Madrid began the weekend leading La Liga and is home to the current most thrilling player in world soccer. Jude Bellingham scored twice in a statement 2-1 win at Barcelona last weekend and also in each Champions League game so far.
Sevilla has fired a coach, spent the whole season in the bottom half of the league and is winless in the Champions League. Sevilla now visits Arsenal which is unbeaten at home all season.
Elite supremacy will likely be confirmed when Man City hosts Young Boys on Tuesday, and on Wednesday when Bayern welcomes Galatasaray and Madrid plays Braga.
Barcelona makes it four of the eight group leaders with the maximum nine points. The Spanish champion also will advance with another win Tuesday when it faces Shakhtar Donetsk.
HAMBURG HUB
Barcelona will be the latest Champions League club to visit Shakhtar’s adopted home city of Hamburg for the competition this season. Royal Antwerp is next on Nov. 28.
Hamburg is a hub for international soccer in the next month, even if the German city’s former European champion club is out of that picture.
The port city stages those Champions League games for Shakhtar ahead of the Dec. 2 draw for the men’s European Championship finals tournament.
The Volksparkstadion home of second-tier Hamburger SV has a 50,000-plus capacity and is one of 10 venues for Euro 2024, hosting five games including a quarterfinal.
The stadium is being used by Shakhtar because Ukrainian clubs have not hosted international games for security reasons since the Russian military invasion started in February 2022.
There were chants for Hamburger SV from a 46,000 crowd when Shakhtar lost 3-1 to Porto in September, perhaps showing frustration of local fans whose team last played in the Champions League 17 years ago.
HSV won the 1983 European Cup — beating Juventus and its superstar forward line of Michel Platini, Paolo Rossi and Zbigniew Boniek 1-0 in the final — but is now in its sixth straight season in the Bundesliga second division.
LOSING STREAKS
It is rare for teams that lose their first three Champions League group games to advance to the next stage.
The currently pointless teams — Benfica, Royal Antwerp, Union Berlin — can take inspiration from the two teams who managed the feat.
Atalanta in 2019-20 had the worst possible start to its debut campaign, and only drew its fourth game. Yet Atalanta ultimately went to the quarterfinals and was minutes away from eliminating Paris Saint-Germain, the eventual beaten finalist.
Newcastle also advanced from the first group stage in 2002-03 after starting with three losses.
All three 0-for-3 clubs have away games this week — Antwerp is at Porto on Tuesday, then on Wednesday Benfica is at Real Sociedad and Union visits Napoli.
MIXED IN MILAN
One Milanese team can qualify for the round of 16 this week and the other can be pushed to the brink of elimination.
Inter Milan, beaten finalist last season and Serie A leader, can book its spot with a win at Salzburg on Wednesday.
The situation is bleaker for seven-time champion AC Milan, which lost to Inter in the semifinals in May.
Milan is last in Group F with no goals and no wins before hosting PSG on Tuesday, three weeks after a 3-0 loss in Paris.
Still, the Rossoneri can take heart that only four points separates first from last in a tough group where Borussia Dortmund hosts Newcastle on Tuesday.
Milan fans likely will give a hostile reception to their once revered goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma on his return to San Siro. He left in 2021 as a free agent with Milan getting no transfer fee.
Donnarumma got a taste in September of what to expect when he was booed by sections of the Milan crowd playing for Italy against Ukraine in a Euro 2024 qualifying game.