A busy schedule for the Bangladesh national football team is on the cards as they are to take part in a host of FIFA friendly matches in the coming months, said the officials of the Bangladesh Football Federation. BFF general secretary Abu Nayeem Shohag said on Saturday that the Japan Football Association president Kuniya Daini has agreed to send a team to Dhaka in December to play two friendly matches.
However, the BFF could not confirm whether the JFA will send their full-strength national team or a second string team. Shohag said that they would provide the details within a week or two.
The development came during the recent visit of BFF president Kazi Salahuddin in Japan, said Shohag.
Japan friendlies will be added to the matches against Sri Lankan national team, who will play two FIFA international friendlies against Bangladesh on October 24 and 27 in Jessore and Rajshahi respectively.
The BFF said they are also negotiating with a few other countries to organise some friendly matches. Talks are underway with Maldives
and Afghanistan, who during a recent AFC seminar in Colombo, expressed their interest to play a bilateral series.
However, the BFF, unwilling to send the team to a war-torn country has instead invited Afghanistan to play in Bangladesh. According to Shohag, Afghanistan agreed to their proposal and decided to send the team later this year.
Should Japan confirm their matches, the visit of Afghanistan could be delayed by a few weeks.
FIFA has no date earmarked for international fiendlies after November 10-18 window, but BFF general secretary said they are hopeful
that they can take necessary approval from the world football’s governing body to give matches international status.
-With New Age input
