Hamza’s Hong Kong Mission Includes 28 Players; Cuban-Born Mitchell Excluded

The Bangladesh national football team is set to begin camp from 29 September in preparation for two home-and-away Asian Cup qualifying matches against Hong Kong. Spanish coach Javier Cabrera has named a preliminary 28-member squad for the fixtures. Although the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) has not yet officially announced the squad, the federation has sent letters to the respective clubs requesting the release of the selected players.

Squad Composition

Key Observations:

• Kings dominate with 11 players in the squad.
• Abahani and Mohammedan contribute five each.
• Brothers Union, Fortis, PWDC contribute one each.
• Four players are from outside the domestic league.

Notably, Hamza Chowdhury and Samit Som missed the September international window, but both will play in the Asian Cup qualifiers. Italian-based Fahmidul will also join the camp.

The squad includes Zayan Ahmed, a US-based player who impressed in the AFC U-23 qualifying tournament in Vietnam, earning him a call-up to the senior team. He is the main new face in the senior squad for the Hong Kong matches.

Conversely, Cuban-born England-based Mitchell, previously linked with a Bangladesh call-up during the June window, has not been included in Cabrera’s preliminary squad. He currently plays for Bashundhara Kings and featured in the AFC U-23 tournament in Vietnam, as well as in the first match of the Federation Cup, but his exclusion has sparked discussion.

Club Player Release and Logistics

• During the September window, Bashundhara Kings delayed releasing players until two weeks after the Nepal friendly. For the Asian Cup qualifiers, clubs have been instructed to release players by 29 September.
• Players must report with sports equipment to Manager Amer Khan at Hotel Intercontinental on Monday afternoon.
• Visa arrangements: BFF will secure visas for more than 28 players to Hong Kong ahead of the 14 October away match. Hamza and Samit, holding UK and Canadian passports, do not require separate visas.

Coach Cabrera’s Recent Schedule

• Cabrera returned from Nepal on a special flight and took a two-week break in Spain.
• He returned to Dhaka early yesterday and attended the Abahani vs Rahmatganj league match in Munshiganj.
• Prior to watching the league matches, Cabrera submitted the preliminary squad to the federation.

The BFF has sent individual release letters to clubs specifying which players need to be released, instead of sending the full squad list as done previously. This step has informed the footballing community in advance, although the official squad announcement was initially expected yesterday and may now follow after today’s league matches.