Dhaka, July 16 (bdnews24.com) - The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) Monday appointed Indian coach Syed Nayeem Uddin as the national coach for five months to prepare the home team for the SAF Football Championship in December.
"We had a lot of discussions on appointing the coach and chose Nayeem (Uddin) considering his good past records," BFF president SA Sultan said at a press conference at the conference room of Bangladesh Football House in Motijheel Monday.
"We are grateful to him for accepting our proposal to guide the national team and he has taken on the job as a challenge," the BFF boss went on.
In this regard, the BFF Monday signed an agreement with the Indian coach effective from August 1.
The BFF has appointed a coach ten months after Argentine coach Diego Andres Cruciani, who guided Bangladesh in the last edition of SAF Championship in Pakistan, left as national coach in September, 2006.
BFF vice president Abdur Rahim, general secretary Anwarul Haq Helal, deputy secretary Manjoor Hossain Malu and Nayeem Uddin were present
The team management committee of BFF also announced a 25-member preliminary squad for the six-nation Nehru Cup, to be held in Delhi August 16-29, giving priority to youth footballers.
"With the assistance of Nayeem, we, local coaches and former national players earlier picked 37 players, but reduced them to 25 due to shortage of time before the Nehru Cup," said Helal.
"This team has been selected keeping the issue of forming the squad for the SAF Championship and there is every chance to include or exclude players from this squad," said Helal.
"We hope we will be able to produce some good results in future," said Nayeem, who is now guiding Brothers Union in the ongoing B. League, to end later this month.
"I think players have no problem with technique and physic, but we have to work hard with their mentality and I believe we will be able to tackle it," said the Indian coach, who guided India to regain their SAF championship title beating Bangladesh in Pakistan.
Nayeem said, "It is a great honour for me to get the job of Bangladesh, which has produced great footballers like 'Jadukar Samad'. We need to follow him (Samad), who has great influence in India."
Among 25 selected booters, five players -- goalie Mamun Khan, defender SM Razib, midfielders Akramuzzaman and Imtiaz Sultan Jitu and striker GM Mamun -- have got the national call for the first time, and the remaining players had represented Bangladesh on the national or age-level teams.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Biplob Bhattacharya, Ziaur Rahman Zia and Mamun Khan.
Defenders: Rajani Kantha Barman, Kazi Nazrul Islam, Firoz Mahmud Titu, Wali Faisal, Ariful Islam, Jahirul Islam, Kazi Mofazzal Hossain Saikat, Shoaib Hossain Sunny, Atiqur Rahman Mishu and SM Razib.
Midfielders: Arman Azizi, Mehdi Hasan Ujjal, Abul Hossain, Jahid Hossain, Enamul Haq Sharif, Mamunul Islam Mamun, Akramuzzaman Liton and Imtiaz Sultan Jitu.
Strikers: Jahid Hossain Emili, Mohammad Robin, Mohammad Rony and GM Mamun.
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