Intishar Mostafa Chowdhury and Foayej Ahammed Peash, two alumni of Independent University, Bangladesh, have been selected in the final 14-member squad of the Bangladesh National Futsal Team for the upcoming AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers in Malaysia.
Intishar has also been named Vice Captain of the team.
Their selection was confirmed following a three-phase national trial process conducted by the Bangladesh Football Federation, which began with over 630 participants from across the country.
Intishar, an alumnus of the Department of Media and Communication, will feature as a midfielder, while Peash, a former student of the Department of Finance, plays as a forward. Meherab Hossain Opi, a current student of Accounting, had also advanced to the second phase of trials but was not selected in the final squad.
The final 14-member squad will represent Bangladesh in its debut appearance at the AFC Futsal Asian Cup Qualifiers, scheduled to take place in Malaysia from September 16 to 24, 2025. Bangladesh has been drawn in Group G alongside Iran, Malaysia, and the United Arab Emirates.
All three players trained under the IUB Football Club and have competed in various national and international futsal competitions. Their previous achievements include winning titles in the Bangladesh Corporate Premier League, Futsal Premier League, FIFCO Corporate Premier League, NSU Sports Carnival, Wings Uni Futsal, and IUT OIC Football Tournament.
Intishar and Peash were also runners-up in the Manchester City Corporate Cup held at Etihad Stadium, England, in 2024. All three were part of the champion team in the Bangladesh Futsal Premier League.
鈥極ur selection reflects years of training and competitive experience at both university and corporate levels,鈥� said Intishar.
鈥業UB played a big role in our journey,鈥� said Peash. 鈥楩rom grooming us through the IUB Football Club to giving us access to tournaments and facilities, the support we received made a real difference.鈥�
Vice Chancellor Prof. M. Tamim said, 鈥楥ongratulations to Intishar and Peash on this wonderful achievement. It speaks volumes about their dedication and hard work. At IUB, we believe education goes beyond the classroom - it鈥檚 about giving students the space to discover and grow their talents. Their success reflects what IUB truly stands for.鈥�
The AFC Futsal Asian Cup is the continent鈥檚 premier futsal championship organized by the Asian Football Confederation. The 2026 edition will determine Asian qualifiers for the FIFA Futsal World Cup.
