Bangladesh Squad Returns Home As Manager Travels Overseas

The Bangladesh men’s national football team arrived back in Dhaka on Sunday afternoon, 7 June 2026, following the conclusion of their international friendly fixture against San Marino. The contingent landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at approximately 5:30 pm local time, completing a multi-leg journey from Southern Europe via the Middle East.

While the majority of the senior playing squad and domestic backroom staff successfully repatriated to the capital, several notable absences were recorded upon the flight’s arrival. Head coach Thomas Dooley and his first-team assistant did not return to Bangladesh with the main delegation, having departed for separate overseas destinations directly from Europe.

Squad Breakdown and Travel Logistics

The national team’s journey to San Marino had been operated by Ethiopian Airlines, which included a scheduled stopover at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, during the outbound leg. For the return journey to South Asia, the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) arranged an alternative route. The delegation departed from Rome, Italy, utilising an Emirates airline service that necessitated a transit stopover in the United Arab Emirates before entering Bangladeshi airspace.

The vast majority of the senior playing squad touched down in Dhaka on Sunday evening. However, players Hamza Choudhury, Samit Singh, and Fahmidul Islam did not board the flight back to the capital. Conversely, dual-nationality players Tariq Kazi and Jayhan Ahmed, whose overseas domestic club league campaigns are currently active, chose to travel to Dhaka alongside the core group of domestic-based footballers.

Coaching Staff Dispersal and Domestic Intermission

The senior men’s national team manager, Amer Khan, officially addressed the media upon arrival to clarify the scheduling and whereabouts of the senior coaching staff. He confirmed that head coach Thomas Dooley had boarded a flight to Manila, Philippines, while his primary technical assistant, Marco, had travelled directly to Canada.

“The head coach has travelled to Manila in the Philippines, whilst the assistant coach has departed for Canada,” national team manager Amer Khan stated. “Both tactical instructors are scheduled to return to Bangladesh at a later date.”

The mid-year period corresponds globally with the international tournament season, a time during which domestic footballing schedules and competitive fixtures typically experience a complete cessation. This institutional downtime is reflected in the local footballing calendar, as the top-flight domestic league activities within Bangladesh are not scheduled to resume until August 2026. Consequently, the senior men’s national selection will face an extended competitive break, with their next official international assignments postponed until the upcoming FIFA international match window in September 2026.

Women’s National Team Post-Tournament Itinerary

While the men’s contingent arrived home on Sunday, the Bangladesh women’s national football team is scheduled to return to the country on Monday afternoon, 8 June 2026. The women’s senior squad, captained by Maria Manda, concluded their campaign at the SAFF Women’s Championship in Goa, India, where they finished as runners-up following a defeat against the host nation, India, in Saturday’s final.

The travelling itinerary for the women’s national team is structured as follows:

• Sunday Night: The squad departed Goa to travel to Mumbai.

• Monday Morning: The team will undergo a mandatory six-hour layover in Mumbai.

• Monday Afternoon: The delegation will depart India and arrive at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka by midday.

Following the squad’s arrival in Dhaka, British head coach Peter Butler is scheduled to take a temporary leave of absence to visit England. The team’s fitness coach, Cameron Lord, had already departed the subcontinent on Saturday, travelling directly from India to Australia.