Bangladesh’s Dutch head coach Lodewijk de Kruif on Monday announced a 28-member preliminary squad for the forthcoming FIFA friendly game against India.
The Dutch coach picked five new footballers — Sheikh Jamal defender Didarul Haque, Brothers Union midfielders Rubel Miah and Jewel Rana, Mohammedan midfielder Hemanta Kumar Vincent and Under-19 defender Tutul Hossain Badsha — for the friendly, scheduled for March 5 in Goa, India.
BJMC striker Aminur Rahman Sajib was also selected along with Sheikh Jamal defenders Yasin Khan and Emon Babu, the trio yet to represent Bangladesh although they were previously called up.
Sheikh Jamal goalkeeper Ziaur Rahman was ruled out due to injury but his teammate Mazharul Islam earned a call-up after impressing in the recently concluded IFA Shield football tournament.
Abahani midfielders Towhidul Alam and Shahedul Alam Shahed returned to the national fold after a long hiatus.
De Kruif omitted veteran left-back Wali Faisal, defender Ariful Islam, forwards Shakhawat Hossain Rony and Wahed Ahmed and midfielder Omar Faruque Babu from his previous squad which featured in the SAFF Championship last year.
The 44-year old Dutch coach said that he will prefer experience over everything else before he trims the squad to 18 members.
‘We will not get enough time to prepare the team so we didn’t want to make an inexperienced squad for the India game. We will prefer experience for the FIFA Friendly,’ said De Kruif.
De Kruif added that Denmark-based Bangladeshi midfielder Jamal Bhuiyan will join the side in Mumbai on March 3.
The selected footballers, with the exception of players from Sheikh Jamal and Abahani will report to the Dutch coach at the Bangladesh Football Federation House today.
The Abahani players will join the national side after today’s match against Sheikh Jamal while the latter are expected to release their players on Friday after their match against Sheikh Russell.
Squad
Biplob Bhattacharya, Shahidul Alam, Mazharul Islam, Mamun Khan, Rayhan Hasan, Ashraf Mahmud Linkon, Tapu Barman, Nasiruddin Chowdhury, Didarul Haque, Yasin Khan, Atiqur Rahman Meshu, Yamin Ahmed Chowdhury, Jamal Bhuiyan, Mobarak Hossain, Zahid Hossain, Rubel Hossain, Mamunul Islam, Sohel Rana, Toklis Ahmed Tonmoy, Zahid Hasan Ameli, Towhidul Alam, Aminur Rahman Sajib, Shahedul Alam Shahed, Emon Mahmud, Hemanta Kumar Vincent, Mithun Chowdhury, Jewel Rana and Tutul Hossain Badsha.
-With New Age input
