The Bangladesh football team will go into their FIFA international friendly against India, scheduled for March 5 in Goa, with just a day’s preparation.
Keeping the friendly match in mind, the Bangladesh Football Federation’s professional football league committee rescheduled three matches of the first phase of the Bangladesh Premier Football League before the India tour.
Sheikh Jamal DC participated in the recently concluded IFA Shield in India so four of their league matches had to be deferred. After the rescheduling, Sheikh Jamal will face Team BJMC on February 22.
Sheikh Jamal will play another two top-flight matches against Abahani Limited and Sheikh Russell KC on February 25 and 28 respectively while the Dhanmondi-based club will encounter Uttar Baridhara on March 10.
Bangladesh will leave Dhaka on March 2 ahead of their friendly match and are scheduled to return on March 7.
The changes made to the league means that the national side’s head coach, Dutchman Lodewijk de Kruif will only get a day for preparation before departing for India.
The BFF, however, is going to call up the national players to report to their Dutch coach on February 25 but it is evident that De Kruif will not get the full complement of the squad as most of the national players represent Sheikh Jamal.
On the other hand, Sheikh Russell have a few national footballers so they will also not be available for the camp before February 28.
Meanwhile, the league committee also finalised the start of the Independence Cup with March 16 mooted as a possible date. 10 top division sides along with two second-tier teams — Arambagh Krira Sangha and Rahamatganj — will take part.
The second player registration window for the top flight clubs will open on March 11 and it will close on March 31, informed league committee chairman Abdus Salam Murshedi after the meeting on Tuesday.
In other developments, the third edition of the Bangladesh Championship League will start from February 25 with seven teams while Premier Bank Limited decided to extend their contract as title sponsors of the second-tier Bangladesh Championship League.
-With New Age input
