Many fans were left stunned yesterday afternoon after visiting the ticketing platform Tikkify’s website, authorized by the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF). Despite BFF’s announcement that online ticket sales for the Bangladesh vs. Singapore match would resume at 10 PM two nights ago, supporters were unable to secure tickets—even after trying for hours. Yet, somehow, all 18,300 tickets were reportedly sold out during this technical deadlock!
Later in the evening, BFF issued a press release confirming that all tickets had indeed been sold and officially ended the much-debated “online ticket sale” campaign.
Amid the criticism surrounding ticket sales, Spanish coach Javier Cabrera is busy assembling his squad for the Singapore match. He’s expected to stick with many of the regulars.
Bangladesh will face Singapore on June 10 at the National Stadium in Dhaka for their AFC Asian Cup Qualifier. Before that, they’ll play a warm-up match against Bhutan at the same venue on June 4. Cabrera has already finalized a 27-man preliminary squad.
A national team source, requesting anonymity, told Prothom Alo, “We’ve finalized a list of 26 to 27 players. We’ll use the Bhutan match as a trial before confirming the final squad.”
According to regulations, the final 23-man squad must be submitted to the match commissioner one day before the game during the manager’s meeting. This gives Cabrera three to four days after the Bhutan match to decide on the final lineup. Bangladesh’s training camp begins on May 30.
The preliminary squad is expected to be announced within a day or two. If all goes to plan, Hamza Choudhury will arrive in Dhaka on June 2 or 3 to play his first match on home soil. Shamit Som is set to arrive on June 4, while Fahmidul Islam will join from day one of the camp. However, both Hamza and Shamit are unlikely to feature in the Bhutan match.
Since Hamza has had a full season with Sheffield United and Shamit has been playing regularly for Cavalry FC in the Canadian Premier League, Cabrera may choose to rest them for the friendly.
There are not expected to be many surprises in the squad. Goalkeeper Mitul Marma, who impressed in the Bangladesh Premier League this season with 16 clean sheets in 22 matches for Abahani, remains a key figure for Cabrera.
Other goalkeeping options include Mohammedan’s Sujan Hossain and Bashundhara Kings’ Mehedi Hasan Shrabon. The midfield, led by Hamza Choudhury, will be bolstered by Canadian league midfielder Shamit Som. Also likely to be included are Mohammad Hridoy, Mujibur Rahman Jony, Sheikh Morsalin, and Jamal Bhuiyan.
In defense, Cabrera is expected to call up Mohammedan’s Shakil Ahamed, Brothers Union’s Rahmat Mia, Police FC’s Esha Faisal, and Kings duo Tariq Kazi and Topu Barman. Experienced Abahani center-back Yasin Khan and Shakil Hossain are also in contention.
Up front, Cabrera has some concerns. Despite creating chances against India, the forwards failed to convert them. So, a new face in attack wouldn’t be a surprise. Abahani’s in-form winger Mohammad Ibrahim is expected to lead the line, potentially joined by Fahmidul Islam, currently playing for Italian club Olbia Calcio.
