Thomas Dooley transforms vital changes in squad
Head Coach of Bangladesh Football team Thomas Dooley has made significant changes to the Bangladesh football preliminary squad ahead of the upcoming tournament in Jakarta, Indonesia.
He has dropped six players from the 28-member squad originally announced by the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) on August 25.
Conversely, six new players-including four expatriates-have been called up to the camp.
Among the new additions, US-based goalkeeper Saif Amir Kerawala has garnered the most attention.
Saif, who is 6 feet 4 inches tall goalkeeper, had been training with the Bangladesh preliminary squad since September 3, after a few days of close observation, he earned the coach’s confidence and secured a spot in the updated squad.
Bangladesh Captain Jamal Bhuyan and other team members have already extended a warm welcome to their new teammates.
Apart from Saif, the other expatriate players added to the squad are Shuki Itofusa, Zidan Yusuf, and Yusuf Ahmed.
On the other hand, several familiar faces were dropped after Dooley evaluated their training performances.
The list of excluded players includes established fullback Isa Faisal and midfielders Kazem Shah and Taj Uddin.
Additionally, Rabbi Hossain Rahul and expatriate players Yasir Tahmid and Debjit Sarkar failed to make the cut (though the latter two were not part of the squad announced on August 25).
With the departure of veterans and the inclusion of new talent, Thomas Dooley’s updated 28-member preliminary squad has taken on a completely new look.
Thomas Dooley has begun trimming the Bangladesh team’s preliminary squad ahead of the ASEAN Cup. He has dropped six players, and another is expected to be cut following Thursday’s training session.
The six players dropped from the preliminary squad are Yasar Tahmid, Debjit Sarkar, Isa Faisal, Kazem Shah, Taj Uddin, and Rabbi Hossain.
The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) announced the 28-member preliminary squad for the ASEAN Cup on August 25, with on-field training commencing on August 28.
Among those dropped, Isa Faisal had featured in the starting XI during the recent match against San Marino, while Kazem Shah and Taj Uddin were also part of the squad for that tour.
Expatriate players Yasar Tahmid and Debjit Sarkar had been part of Dooley’s initial plans.
Rabbi last played for the Bangladesh Football team against Bhutan in September 2024.
The Bangladesh Football team are scheduled to depart for Indonesia on September 19 for the ASEAN Cup.
Drawn in Group A, Bangladesh will face hosts Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. All three matches will be held at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta.
Bangladesh will kick-off the tournament against Malaysia on September 25, followed by a match against Singapore on September 28.
Their final group stage match is against hosts Indonesia on October 1. The first two matches are scheduled to start at 3:00pm (Bangladesh Standard Time), while the last match will begin at 6:30pm.
With about a week remaining before the final squad must be finalized for the ASEAN Cup, Dooley will continue the process of trimming the squad over the coming days.
