Another expatriate footballer, Farhan Karim Khan, has joined the national camp on Tuesday to represent Bangladesh in the SAFF Football Championship, following Denmark-based midfielder Jamal Bhuiyan and Australia-based midfielder Anando Rahman.
Tabith Awual, vice-president of the Bangladesh Football Federation and co-chairman of the National Teams Committee, asked national team coach Lodewijk de Kruif to observe Farhan, who plays for the George Washington University soccer team in the USA.
The 21 year-old Farhan, born in Los Angeles, Calif, has been spending his summer vacation in Dhaka with his relatives.
Dutch coach de Kruif wanted to watch Farhan play before awarding him a place on the team. Having seen him in action, the coaching staff has yet to comment about his prospects and have not permitted him to speak to the media.
Farhan has not joined the national team residential camp at the BFF House, said Rene Koster, assistant coach of national team.
In 2012, Farhan started and played in 16 games for GWU, following a 2011 season in which he was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Tournament Team. In high school competition, he was an honorable mention All-Met selection by The Washington Post after helping Langley High School reach the Virginia Group AAA state quarterfinals in 2011. He also served as the 2011 team captain.
`Farhan is a dynamic midfielder whose work rate and physical presence will be a great addition to our midfield options. A midfield dynamo with good technical skills, he will be looking
to establish himself in the center of midfield,’ George Lidster, the head coach of the GW men’s soccer team , was quoted as saying in a website in 2011.
In other news from the camp, de Kruif was satisfied with the performance of Jamal Bhuiyan and might select him for the national team, but another expatriate player, Anando Rahman from Australia, left the camp after being unable to cope with the humid conditions.
The BFF was still in the dark about the arrival date of Reashat Kathon, a Germany-based midfielder, who was scheduled to arrive in Dhaka today.
The national team will play a practice match today against Team BJMC, after which de Kruif may name a 23-member squad.
-With New Age input