Italy-based forward Fahmidul Islam has already joined the national team camp, and now England-born midfielder Hamza Choudhury has also arrived. The team is now awaiting the arrival of Samit Som, who is expected to land in Dhaka tomorrow.
Hamza landed in Dhaka on Monday morning and jumped straight into training later that afternoon. Delighted by the warm reception from fans, Hamza shared his excitement in a video message released by the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF). “Assalamu Alaikum, everyone. Thank you to all the fans and officials for the warm welcome. I’m excited to meet my teammates and prepare for the two big matches. Insha’Allah, we’ll achieve success, and I hope you all will witness it,” said the 27-year-old midfielder.
Hamza made his debut for Bangladesh in March during an AFC Asian Cup qualifier match held in Shillong, India. Now, he is expected to make his home debut on June 4 in a FIFA friendly against Bhutan. This match could also mark the debut of Fahmidul Islam in Bangladesh colors.
However, head coach Javier Cabrera has left some uncertainty regarding Hamza’s participation in the Bhutan match. “We would like to give Hamza some playing time on home soil ahead of the Singapore match,” Cabrera said. “But we haven’t made a final decision yet.”
Hamza was initially scheduled to land in Dhaka at 10:30 AM but arrived at 10:55 AM due to a flight delay. The midfielder, who recently played in the English Championship play-off final with Sheffield United, went straight to the team hotel upon arrival.
Bangladesh is set to face Singapore in a crucial AFC Asian Cup qualifier at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on June 10. Before that, the team will test its preparations with a friendly against Bhutan on June 4. With both fixtures looming, the national team is in full training mode.
