FIFA ASEAN Cup confirmed, calendar causes headache

The Bangladesh national football team's build-up for November's SAFF Championship received a boost with the confirmation of their participation in the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup, but their preparations on the ground remain a concern, with head coach Thomas Dooley likely to have little time to work with his full squad.

Following a marathon meeting of the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) executive committee yesterday, media committee chairman Amirul Islam Babu told reporters that FIFA had formally confirmed Bangladesh's participation in the new tournament.

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“We had applied to FIFA to participate in the tournament. Last night (Friday), we received a positive response, and then we also sent our confirmation,” Babu said after the meeting.

The FIFA ASEAN Cup, featuring eight teams in its premier division, will be held in Jakarta from September 24 to October 4. Bangladesh have been drawn in Group A alongside hosts Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, while Group B comprises Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines and Pakistan.

Babu said the BFF would call up the national team for a camp soon after discussing the schedule with Dooley, hoping that Dooley would get the full squad, including England-based Hamza Choudhury and Canada-based Shamit Shome, at his disposal.

No specific date was announced, but the federation had recently informed clubs that the national team's camp was tentatively scheduled to begin on August 27. The BFF has now set September 3 as the deadline for the first-phase registration of domestic and foreign players for the upcoming Bangladesh Football League.

However, with the FIFA international window opening on September 21, Dooley could have barely a week with his full squad before Bangladesh travel to Indonesia for the ASEAN Cup.

That is likely to frustrate the German coach, who has previously expressed concerns about having insufficient time to prepare the national team. 

The lack of preparation time has been caused by delays to the domestic season, with the BFF once again having to adjust the registration and competition calendar amid FIFA-imposed registration bans on several clubs.

Abahani have lifted their final outstanding ban, but Bashundhara Kings reportedly still have six of their 14 bans to resolve, while Young Men's Fakirerpool Club are yet to lift their only ban.

As a result, the Bangladesh Football League will now begin on September 18, instead of the previously scheduled August 25, while the Federation Cup will start on September 22, rather than August 28.

The congested calendar means the national team will have to prepare for the ASEAN Cup while the domestic season is getting under way. Bangladesh will then host the SAFF Championship from November 4 to 17, with the national team's camp for that tournament tentatively scheduled to begin on October 25.

The ASEAN Cup will therefore provide Bangladesh with competitive matches ahead of the SAFF Championship, but Dooley's biggest challenge may be finding enough time to mould his squad before the first ball is kicked in Jakarta.