Bangladesh’s final match in the Asian Cup qualifiers is scheduled in Singapore on March 31, but the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) is exploring the possibility of a warm-up match beforehand. The plan was discussed during the National Team Committee meeting, focusing on friendly matches and the start of the national team camp.
The camp will officially begin on March 20, according to Imrul Hasan, the Deputy Chairman of the National Team Committee. “Discussions are underway with several teams. We hope to organize a home match, possibly in Sylhet,” he said while briefing the media.
Sylhet as a Potential Venue
Habiganj, near Sylhet, is home to English Premier League footballer Hamza Chowdhury, and the federation originally considered Sylhet for a home game to allow local fans to watch him play. Security, stadium facilities, and time constraints initially made it difficult. However, Imrul Hasan remains optimistic:
“𝑨 𝒍𝒐𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒉. 𝑾𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒏.”
Stakeholders note that announcing the match could also help improve the stadium and field conditions via the National Sports Council. If the match cannot be held in Sylhet, the alternative is likely the National Stadium in Dhaka.
Opponent Talks and Coach Matters
The federation has been in talks with Cambodia, East Timor, and Vietnam for the friendly. Vietnam is reluctant to play away, East Timor is flexible, and Cambodia prefers hosting the match at home. A final decision is expected in the coming days. Meanwhile, the Maldives has invited Bangladesh to a four-nation tournament in June, though no decision has been made.
Coach Javier Cabrera, whose contract ends after the Singapore match, remains central to all national team plans. Despite growing calls for his resignation from fans and officials, the meeting did not discuss any changes.
Player Availability and Club Coordination
With the national team camp starting on March 20, the release of players from clubs is governed by FIFA regulations. Imrul Hasan stated:
“𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒂 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉 17. 𝑰 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆 𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒃𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒄𝒐𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒎 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒖𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆.”
Despite being the Bashundhara Kings President and senior vice-president of Bangladesh Football Federation, Imrul assured that clubs will coordinate to support the national team during the upcoming schedule.
Bangladesh is now setting the stage for a critical preparatory friendly, which could boost team readiness ahead of the decisive Singapore clash in the Asian Cup qualifiers.
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