Dhaka, March 25 (bdnews24.com) - Five fresh faces have been included in the Bangladesh football squad when the Bangladesh Football Federation picked 25 players on Wednesday for next month's AFC Challenge Cup at home.
Bangladesh were drawn in Group A along with Cambodia, Myanmar and the winners between Macau and Mongolia, who qualify after play-off matches.
"Before picking the squad for the upcoming AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers, we also considered the South Asian Games at home in 2010 and some young players have been included in the side," said National Team Management Committee chairman Badal Roy at a press conference at BFF House on Wednesday.
The new faces are defender Mamun Mia from Farashganj SC, Mithun Chowdhury from Chittagong Abahani and defender Rased, midfielders Manik and Imon Babu from BKSP.
Brazilian coach Edson Silva Dido said that the trio from BKSP impressed him as he was watching them in a practice at the BSKP. About Mamun Mia, Dido said the well-built defender had a good position sense and he could quickly cover his left after going up through the wing.
Striker Mithun was picked to prepare him for the future squad of the SA Games.
Apart from five faces, all are known faces while defender Nazrul Islam and striker Alfaz Ahmed were excluded from the squad that played in the Royal Challenge Cup in Myanmar.
"I initially selected 30 players after watching them in the professional football league, but the ongoing Super Cup helped me to reassess them to cut the list to 25 members," said Dido.
Explaining his target for next month's tournament, Dido said, "Definitely we will expect to win all matches we will play and prepare the players for future."
However, the Brazilian thinks four weeks' training was not enough, but he was confident to improve the side in this period.
Dido thought that most of Bangladesh players had poor position sense and they didn't know how to move and it confused them.
Imtiaz Sultan Johnny, a former national footballer and a member of the National Team Management Committee, has been appointed team manager for the upcoming Challenge Cup.
Squad: Aminul Haque, Biplob Bhattacharya, Himel (goalkeepers), Nasir Hossain, Ariful Islam, Wali Faisal, Atiqul Islam Mishu, Rashed, Rajani Kanta Barman, Mohammad Sujan, Mozzammel Hossain Saikat, Mamun Mia (defenders), Arman Aziz, Enamul Haq Sharif, Pranotosh Kumar, Manik, Jahed Parvez Chowdhury, Jahid Hossain, Mamunul Islam, Motiur Munna, Imon Babu (midfielders), Jahid Hasan Emily, Enamul Haq, Hedayetul Islam Robin and Mithun Chowdhury (strikers).
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