Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) Vice President Fahad Karim has confirmed that Canadian-born Bangladeshi midfielder Shamit Shome will join the national team camp ahead of the upcoming match against Singapore.
The national team’s preparation camp is set to begin at the end of May. While Shamit Shome won’t be there from the start, he is expected to join midway through the camp.
According to BFF’s earlier plans, head coach Javier Cabrera will kick off the camp on May 31. The team also plans to play a friendly match on June 5. Bangladesh will face Singapore on June 10 in the third round of the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers.
Shamit has already secured the necessary documents—birth certificate, Bangladeshi passport, and FIFA Players’ Committee clearance—which means there are no obstacles left for him to represent Bangladesh. BFF is now eager to field the 27-year-old midfielder against Singapore.
Speaking to bdnews24.com, Fahad Karim said, “Shamit Shome has a match on June 1. Once that’s done, he’ll travel to Bangladesh. According to our current plan, he’ll arrive in Dhaka by June 5. We’re arranging his flight ticket and completing other formalities.”
Shamit, who grew up in Canada, played two matches for the Canadian national team in 2020. He currently plays club football for Cavalry FC in the Canadian Premier League. His team is scheduled to play against Forge FC on June 1, after which he will travel to Bangladesh.
“He’s thrilled to have received clearance to play for Bangladesh. He has expressed his gratitude to the BFF president, general secretary, and everyone involved in the process. He said he’s very excited to represent Bangladesh,” Fahad added.
However, Fahad also mentioned that playing in the June 5 friendly might be difficult for Shamit due to travel fatigue. “We aren’t expecting him to feature in the friendly. The president and coach will meet him next week to discuss expectations and plans. Hopefully, Shamit will make his debut against Singapore.”
