The Bangladesh national football team reached Bhutan on Friday to take part in two FIFA international friendly matches against the hosts in Thimphu on September 5 and 8.
With a strong show in both games, Javier Cabrera鈥檚 men will be seeking to raise their FIFA rankings to Pot-3 rather than Pot-4 during the third round draw of the AFC Asian Cup qualifying in December 2024.
With the two friendlies, Bangladesh will be taking part in an international match for the first time since their 4-0 thrashing to Lebanon in the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers in Qatar in June.
Before leaving home, Cabrera finalised his 23-member squad on Thursday by calling up four players from the SAFF Under-20 Championship-winning team.
Mohammedan Sporting Club defender Shakil Ahad Topu, Bashundhara Kings midfielder Chandon Roy, and Abahani Limited and Kings forwards Mirajul Islam and Rabby Hossain Rahul were the ones included in the squad.
This was the maiden call-up for Mirajul, who won the golden boot and player of the tournament awards in the SAFF U-20 Championship, and Topu, while Rahul and Roy had previously received national team call-ups.
Cabrera included nine additional players from serial Bangladesh Premier League champions Bashundhara Kings in his second call-up, cutting four from his initial 14-player list.
Fortis Football Club midfielder Didarul Alam, who received his first call-up on August 24 and had three days of training at the Kings Arena beginning August 26 with the other 13, was dropped, along with two other midfielders, Syed Quazem (Police FC) and Jayed Ahmed (Police FC), and forward Arman Foysal Akash (Abahani).
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SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Mitul Marma, Hossain Sujan, Pappu Hossain; Defenders: Topu Barman, Bishwanath Ghosh, Saad Uddin, Mehedi Hasan, Rahmat Mia, Isa Faysal, Sakil Hossain, Shakil Ahad Topu; Midfielders: Jamal Bhuyan, Sohel Rana, Mohammad Ridoy, Mohammad Sohel Rana, Mirajul Islam, Chandon Roy, Mojibur Rahman Jony;听 Forwards:听 Rakib Hossain, Shekh Morsalin, Foysal Ahmed Fahim, Rabby Hossain Rahul, Shahriar Emon.
