ZCZC
BSP-09
FOOTBALL-CAMP-CLOSING
National team’s camp to remain closed till Sunday
DHAKA, May 12, 2021 (BSS)- The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) has decided to close the ongoing national football team’s residential training camp till Sunday (May 16) on the occasion of Eid Ul-Fitr holiday.
“Basically it was BFF’s decision to close the ongoing camp from today so that the players can celebrate the Eid Ul-Fitr with their family. In the recent time players of each club of Bangladesh Premier League already played four league matches. So, by spending the Eid Ul-Fitr vacation, the players can rejuvenate themselves before joining the residential camp, said the BFF general secretary Abu Nayeem Shohag to the pressmen at the BFF premise today.
National football team’s manager Iqbal Hossain said: “The BFF has closed the camp after negotiating with all. Actually the players wanted to celebrate the Eid Ul- Fitr with their family members . They (players) have also committed to join the camp on Sunday (May 16). The players of Bashundhara Kings will also join the camp after Eid Ul-Fitr. As a full-fledged camp will start after Eid Ul-Fitr, so considering all the matter, the BFF has closed the camp due to Eid Ul–Fitr holidays.”
Earlier, the BFF picked up a 33-member preliminary squad for the national team’s residential training camp that began from Monday last at the city’s local hotel ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar (Qualifiers) and AFC Asian Cup China 2023 (preliminary joint round-2).
The national team is expected to leave for Qatar on May 21/22 to play their remaining three FIFA world cup 2022 Qatar (qualifiers) matches. According to the fixtures, Bangladesh will play against Afghanistan, India and Oman on June 3, 7 and 15 respectively.
The national football team is also supposed to play two practice matches on June 25/26 and 29 against the local selections.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh national football team’s head coach Jamie Day and goalkeeping coach Les Cleevely already returned to Dhaka on Monday last after spending their vacation from the United Kingdom to train the national football team.
The duo are now undergoing a mandatory five-day quarantine before starting the on-field activities. Day and Cleevely are also expected to join the training camp on May 16.
BSS/SG/ARS/2030 hrs