Play store
Bangladesh have announced a 23-member final squad for the inaugural Asean Cup, with England-based forward Farhan Ali Wahid, midfielder Zidan Yusuf and Japan-based footballer Shuki Itofusa earning their first places in the national team’s final squad.
Head coach Thomas Doli has included nine expatriate players in the squad. They are Hamza Choudhury, Shamit Shome, Fahamedul Islam, Farhan Ali Wahid, Zidan Yusuf, Zayan Ahmed, Shuki Itofusa, along with experienced players Jamal Bhuiyan and Tariq Raihan Kazi.
Farhan is the most talked-about of the newcomers. The forward, who is on loan from Fulham Under-21s, currently plays for Boreham Wood. Doli hopes his finishing ability can help address Bangladesh’s long-standing goalscoring problems.
The coach recently said Farhan’s ability to convert chances in front of goal is one of his main strengths. However, Doli cautioned against placing excessive expectations on the young forward and said he should not be viewed as a “saviour” in the same way as Hamza Choudhury.
Bangladesh will begin their campaign against Malaysia on September 25 at Jakarta’s Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, with the match scheduled for 3:00pm Bangladesh time. They will face Singapore at the same venue on September 28 before taking on hosts Indonesia on October 1 at 6:30pm.
The inaugural Fifa Asean Cup features 14 teams, comprising 11 Asean member states and guest teams Bangladesh, Pakistan and Hong Kong.
Bangladesh have been placed in Division 1, Group A, alongside Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. Group B comprises Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines and Pakistan.
Bangladesh squad
Goalkeepers: Mitul Marma, Md Sujon Hossain, Md Mehedi Hasan Srabon.
Defenders: Zidan Alexander Yusuf, Tapu Barman, Md Shakil Ahad Tapu, Md Saad Uddin, Md Rahmat Mia, Tariq Raihan Kazi, Zayan Ahmed.
Midfielders: SM Manzurur Rahman, Jamal Bhuiyan, Md Sohel Rana, Sohel Rana, Md Hridoy, Md Minhajul Karim Swadhin, Hamza Choudhury, Shamit Shome.
Forwards: Fahamedul Islam, Sheikh Morsalin, Rakib Hossain, Farhan Ali Wahid, Shuki Itofusa.
