Changing the previous stance of not inviting any sub-continental teams in the forthcoming Bangabandhu Gold Cup, the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) is now mulling the inclusion of either Pakistan or Maldives in place of Laos.
BFF president Kazi Salahuddin revealed this at his office yesterday. “We may include Pakistan or Maldives in the tournament. There will be no problems with that. We have not officially notified Laos about it. The president of the Laos Football Association is a friend of mine so we can convince him over this issue.”
Alongside hosts Bangladesh, Bahrain, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore have already confirmed their participation in the tournament. The BFF has decided to host Bangladesh’s group matches in Sylhet considering the popularity of the game in the north-eastern division. The tournament will begin on January 16 next year with the grand finale slated for January 27.
The tournament will be held next year after a five-year hiatus.
Meanwhile, football’s governing body in the country is looking for a foreign coach before the Bangabandhu Gold Cup, following the departure of Dutch coaches Lodewijk de Kruif and Rene Koster. However, the BFF has not really progressed on this issue due to financial constraints.
The BFF might seek assistance from the Japan Football Association over the appointment of a foreign coach for the senior team. Former Slovenian footballer Ermin Siljak recently showed interest but the BFF said he is asking for a lot of money. Salahuddin ruled out the chances of recruiting Siljak. Interim coach Saiful Bari Titu is currently at the helm of the national side ahead of the upcoming international friendly against the Japan Under-21 team this Thursday at Bangabandhu National Stadium.