Bangladesh is planning an exciting football match against India in Sylhet to honor young talent Hamza. The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) wants to make this event special, celebrating Hamza’s journey and bringing fans a memorable showdown between the two rivals.
BFF Wants to Host Big Games in Sylhet and Chittagong
Sylhet Match Planned to Celebrate Hamza’s Arrival
Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) is planning something special to honor footballer Hamza Dewan Chowdhury. Hamza, who played in the English Premier League, made his debut for Bangladesh against India on March 25. Now, BFF wants the big Asian Cup qualifying match against India on November 18 to be held at the Sylhet District Stadium, Hamza’s hometown.
There’s more good news. Another talented footballer, Shamit Som, who plays for Canada’s national team, could soon join the Bangladesh team too. BFF hopes to give Shamit his debut during a friendly match against Singapore on June 10 at the Dhaka National Stadium.
Like Hamza, Shamit also has roots in Sylhet. That’s why BFF officials are excited about organizing a match in Sylhet when both players are in the team. They believe it would create a special atmosphere for fans.
BFF’s Plan for Future Matches
Before the important India match, Bangladesh will play two games against Hong Kong—one at home on October 9 and one away on October 14. The BFF wants to hold the home match on October 9 at the Chittagong District Stadium. (More Sports News)
Iqbal Hossain, a member of the BFF Competition Committee, said, “Because of Hamza and Shamit, we want the match against India to be held in Sylhet. We will suggest this idea to the executive committee. They will make the final decision. We also plan to host two Asian Cup qualifying matches outside Dhaka, one in Sylhet and one in Chittagong.”
Iqbal also explained the current condition of the two stadiums. He said they already visited the Chittagong stadium and are ready to make improvements if needed. They also inspected Sylhet Stadium recently. Even though Sylhet has had a lot of rain, the ground is in good shape. Only the grass is a bit long because no matches have been played recently, but that’s easy to fix.
Some Challenges to Solve
There are still some challenges. Sylhet Stadium has a cricket pitch in the middle, which needs to be removed before the football match. Iqbal said, “We have discussed this with the National Sports Council and Sylhet DFA. They have promised to remove the pitch and plant new grass.”
Another problem is with the floodlights. There are unpaid electricity bills. But the District Administrator has promised to solve this issue soon. Once these problems are fixed, BFF will officially propose Sylhet as the venue for the match against India.
In Chittagong, another issue is that the gallery does not have chairs, which is required by AFC rules. Iqbal said BFF has already started working on installing chairs and hopes to finish before the matches. They also want to organize some youth matches there in the future.
Bangladesh Football’s Busy Calendar
Meanwhile, BFF announced a FIFA friendly match will take place at Dhaka National Stadium on June 5. They are still looking for an opponent after Sudan canceled their visit. The national team coach, Javier Cabrera, had returned to Bangladesh after a short vacation but had to suddenly leave again for Spain because of his father’s illness.
Iqbal explained, “The coach left on Saturday night because of a family emergency. Family comes first, and we hope he returns soon.”
With these exciting plans, BFF is hoping to energize football fans across Bangladesh, especially in Sylhet and Chittagong, and give a warm welcome to their new stars, Hamza and Shamit.