The Bangladesh national football team has officially kicked off its training camp at the Intercontinental Hotel in Dhaka, ahead of the crucial Asian Cup qualifier against Singapore on June 10. Coach Javier Cabrera and team manager Amer Khan welcomed 24 out of the 26 players on Sunday evening, with expatriate footballers Hamza Chowdhury and Samit Som expected to join soon.
Training will begin today at 5 PM at the Dhaka Stadium. Before facing Singapore, Bangladesh will play a warm-up match against Bhutan on June 4, with the visiting team set to arrive in Dhaka today. However, it remains uncertain whether the expatriate players will feature in the Bhutan match, as final decisions depend on the coach’s strategy. Cabrera has confirmed that three players will be cut from the 26-man squad after the Bhutan match.
Among the early arrivals was Italy-based forward Fahamidul Islam, who has been in Dhaka for three days but was kept under tight restrictions by the BFF. Though present in the hotel lobby alongside other players like Tapu Barman, Sumon Reza, and Rakib Hossain, Fahamidul was barred from speaking to the media.
Senior players are optimistic ahead of the Singapore match. Defender Tapu Barman noted that although Singapore has a strong football history in the ASEAN region, their current form is shaky. “Rankings don’t matter—we’re confident playing at home,” he said. Team captain Jamal Bhuiyan acknowledged the competitive challenge to retain his place but affirmed he’s ready to prove himself.
