Bangladesh are all set to gain the experience of playing against a team managed by Harry Redknapp, who has agreed to take over as manager of Jordan for their last two matches of the 2018 Fifa World Cup second round qualifiers.
The 69-year old took up a mentoring role with English Championship side Derby yesterday and will combine that post with helping out the Jordanians, leaving Britain for the Middle East after the local derby against Nottingham Forest this Saturday.
Redknapp said he had agreed to help out at the behest of Jordanian FA chief Prince Ali Bin al Hussein, who lost the FIFA presidential election to Swiss Gianni Infantino last month.
“It’s going to be a tough couple of weeks, that’s for sure,” he told the Sun newspaper.
“I’m friends with Prince Ali and wanted him to take over from Sepp Blatter. He asked me if I’d manage the team for a couple of matches and I agreed.
“I’ll go to the Forest game and then go straight to London and fly to Jordan. It’s a busy time but I’ve missed the buzz of being involved in football.”
Jordan, currently led by caretaker manager Abdullah Abu Zema, play Bangladesh in Amman next Thursday and the Socceroos in Sydney five days later.
The Jordanians trail Australia by two points in Group B with the top two from each group going through to the third round where four berths in Russia will be at stake.
Redknapp’s fellow former Queens Park Rangers manager Ray Wilkins last year led Jordan in the Asian Cup in Australia where they were eliminated in the group stage.