Dhaka, Feb 4 (bdnews24.com) - Abu Yousuf is all set to become the Bangladesh national football team coach ahead of two tournaments -- the AFC Challenge Cup in May and the SAFF Championship in June.
The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) signs up Yousuf for two meets Wednesday, said BFF media manager Ahmed Sayeed Al Fattah Tuesday.
The national footballers have been out of training since November after the BFF came to an end with Indian coach Syed Nayeemuddin because of the six- month deferment of the SAFF Championship.
The BFF high-ups then told reporters that they would recall Nayeemuddin soon after the rescheduled fixture of the SAFF Championship in Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
When attention was drawn to the promise, BFF acting general secretary Manzoor Hossain Malu said, "I don't want comment on it."
Yousuf, who guided the national U-19, 20 and 23 several times, is now coaching the national women's football team.
The former national booter, however, guided a team comprising mostly national footballers in two friendly matches against Qatar in 1998, and his side drew both the matches against the superior rivals.
Bangladesh were placed in Group C along with hosts Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan and Laos in the qualifying round of the AFC Challenge Cup, scheduled for May 5-10.
Sixteen teams, split into four groups, will play the group phase matches and the top nation from each group will join DPR Korea, Turkmenistan, hosts India and Myanmar in the eight-team finals, scheduled for July 30 to August 10.
In the SAFF Championship, Bangladesh were drawn in Group B along with co-hosts Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Bhutan, scheduled for June 3 to 14 in Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
bdnews24.com/ar/rm/1950 hrs
