Bangladesh U-23 football side played out a goalless draw against Muktijoddha Sangsad in their first practice match ahead of the February-March Olympic pre-qualifiers against Kuwait at the Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishthan ground yesterday.
However, both sides missed the services of their key players as the U-23 side’s midfielder Mezbabul Haq Manik is injured, five players are away with Abahani in Thailand and two players of Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club have been asked by their coach not to leave the club’s training while Muktijoddha did not field players like striker Alamu Bukola Olaleken and defender Dami Emanuel.
Bangladesh’s Croatian coach Robert Rubcic had last week picked 26 players from 56 through a one-day trial but he got only 20 players on the first day of a four-day training at BKSP yesterday.
Mohammedan defender Bipul and U-17 striker Sohel Rana have been included to the preliminary squad after Sheikh Jamal stopped striker Towhidul Alam Sabuj and Mintu Sheikh, two key players of the national team, from joining the camp.
“First we will try to know about the club decision on Sabuj and Mintu and then let you know, but we hope all clubs will come forward to help the national team as the training schedule of the national team has been designed in such a way that the club would not face any trouble before the domestic competitions,” said Badal Roy, chairman of the national team management committee, about Sheikh Jamal’s decision.
Now the players will receive a three-day technical and tactical training and they will square off against Mohammedan on December 23 in Dhaka before all of them join their club training the next day to prepare for the Bangladesh League, which starts December 27.
Meanwhile, Abahani played a 1-1 draw against Old Safa in one of their two practice matches in Thailand.
Old Safa is the sixth placed team in the Thailand Premier League, said a press release.
