Sports Desk: Bangladesh Football team left Dhaka for Cambodia Saturday afternoon to play a FIFA International friendly in Phnom Penh ahead of the eight-nation 14th South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship ‘2023 in India.
Bangladesh will play a FIFA International Tier -1 Friendly match against Cambodia on June 15 at 7 pm at the Phnom Penh National Stadium and will fly for India on the next day (June 16) to compete in the SAFF Championship’ 2023 scheduled for June 21 to July 5 at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru.
Out of the 34-member national team, 21 booters and 10 officials left the capital on Saturday at 1:35 pm for Bangkok by TG -322 flight enroute to Cambodia and expected to reach Phnom Penh at 7:55 pm.
The rest three members of the team–manager Showkat Ali Khan Jahangir, two players Bishwanath Ghosh and Isa Faisal, who did not got Indian visa on Thursday, are expected to join the team there on Sunday or Monday subject to get Indian visas.
Bangladesh team will stay at Phnom Penh Hotel in the Cambodian capital and will play a practice match against Tiffy Army FC on June 12 at 5 pm at the Army Stadium in Phnom Penh.
Addressing a pre-tour press conference at BFF house on Friday, the Head coach of Bangladesh team Javier Fernandez Cabrera said his target is to play in the semifinal of the SAFF Championship 2023 after beating Cambodia in FIFA international friendly.
Later, he announced a 23- member final squad dropping seven booters–Tutul Hossain Badsha, Masuk Mia Zoni, Eleta Kingsley, Shahriar Emon, Rimon Hossain, Sazzad Hossain and Mehedy Hasan Srabon.
Members of the Bangladesh are: Anisur Rahman, Topu Barman, Bishwanath Ghosh, Tariq Raihan Kazi, Sohel Rana, Rakib Hossain, Sumon Reza, Sheikh Morsalin (Bashundhara Kings), Sahidul Alam Sohel, Foysal Ahmed Fahim, Rahmat Mia, Sohel Rana, Alamgir Molla, Mohammad Ridoy ( Dhaka Abahani Ltd), Mehedi Hasan (Mohammedan SC), Jamal Bhuyan, Mohammad Ibrahim (Sheikh Russel KC), Rabiul Hasan, Isa Faysal (Police FC), Mojibor Rahman Jony, Mitul Marma, Rafiqul Islam (Fortis FC) and Aminur Rahman Sojib (Muktijoddha Sangsad KC)
Earlier, Bangladesh have been drawn in Group B of the (SAFF) Championship with top seed and invitee Lebanon, two times champions Maldives and Bhutan while Group A team comprises eight-time champions India, invitee Kuwait, Nepal and Pakistan.
In the SAFF Championship, hosts India will play their arch-rivals Pakistan in one of the two opening day’s matches at 7:30 pm local time on June 21 while invitee Kuwait will face Nepal in the other inaugural day’s match at 3:30 pm.
Bangladesh, the champions of 2003, will start their campaign taking on favorite and top seed Lebanon on the following day (June 22) at 3:30 pm at the same venue.
Bangladesh, who did not overcame the group stage barrier in the last five editions, will play Maldives on June 25 at 3:30 pm and meet Bhutan on June 28 at 7:30 pm in their remaining group matches
After the round-robin league matches, top two teams from each groups, will play in the semifinals on July 1 while the final billed for July 4. UNB
