Six days after the national team’s preparations began, the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) has finally announced the list of players selected for the upcoming camp.
A press release in the evening initially stated that 26 players had been called up to the camp, but the list actually included 27 names. The error was quickly rectified, and the correct number of players was confirmed as 27.
On the first day of training on 31st October at the National Stadium, 14 players were invited. Later, Abahani’s goalkeeper Pappu Hossain was added to the list, bringing the number of players to 15.
It was subsequently revealed that 10 players from Bashundhara Kings would join the camp. They were initially scheduled to arrive on 4th November, but the latest update confirmed they will now join on 7th November.
Bangladesh has earned only 1 point from the first four matches of the Asian Cup qualifiers, which has ruled them out of contention for the final stage. The fifth match of their group will be on 18th November at the National Stadium, with a friendly against Nepal scheduled for 13th November at the same venue.
In the process of finalising the squad, the BFF has faced some confusion. Fahamidul Islam, who was part of the team that toured Hong Kong, has been excluded due to two yellow cards, meaning he will miss the match against India. However, Kazem Shah, who was dropped from the final squad against Hong Kong, has been reinstated in the preliminary squad.
Preliminary Squad (27 Players)
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Mitul Marma, Sujan Hossain, Pappu Hossain, Mehedi Hasan |
| Defenders | Tariq Kazi, Rahmat Mia, Shakil Ahmad, Abdullah Omar, Shakil Hossain, Zayan Ahmed, Tapu Barman, Taj Uddin, Sad Uddin |
| Midfielders | Kazem Shah, Sheikh Morsalin, Jamal Bhuiyan, Sohel Rana (Senior), Sohel Rana (Junior), Mohammad Hriday, Hamza Chowdhury, Shammit Som |
| Forwards | Mohammad Ibrahim, Al Amin, Arman Faisal, Shahriar Imon, Faisal Ahmed, Rakib Hossain |
This squad will now look ahead to the upcoming challenges, as the team prepares for the crucial qualifiers and friendly matches.