Hamza Choudhury arrived in Vietnam on Tuesday to link up with the Bangladesh national team ahead of their upcoming FIFA international friendly against Vietnam and the final AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Singapore.
The Bangladesh national football team are set to face Vietnam on Thursday before travelling to Singapore for their Group C qualifying match on March 31.
Hamza, who plays for Leicester City, missed the initial training camp in Dhaka due to club commitments. The team began preparations at the Kings Arena on March 16 before departing for Hanoi on March 20 under head coach Javier Cabrera.
The midfielder will have just one full training session with his teammates before the Vietnam clash but expressed enthusiasm upon arrival.
“I’m excited to join the team and play the game against Vietnam,” Hamza said in a video message released by the Bangladesh Football Federation.
Assistant coach Hasan Al Mamun said the squad is adapting well to the conditions in Vietnam following their first two training sessions.
“Yesterday’s session was about adaptation after the journey. Today’s session was more intense, with players showing focus and agility. We also worked on tactical aspects. Overall, it was a good session, and the players are gradually adjusting,” he said.
Defender Bishwanath Ghosh, returning to the national side after a lengthy injury layoff, shared his excitement ahead of the fixtures. Having last featured in September 2024, he is yet to play alongside Hamza and fellow expatriate Shamit Shome.
Bishwanath praised both players as top-quality additions and expressed eagerness to build chemistry with them.
Bangladesh are already out of contention for qualification, having collected five points from five matches in Group C. However, the upcoming fixtures offer a chance to build momentum and test combinations.
Hamza himself has recently returned from injury but sounded confident about his fitness.
“No problem. Alhamdulillah, it’s feeling good. InshaAllah, I will be fit and ready to go,” he said, also greeting fans with a cheerful “Eid Mubarak.”
Bangladesh, currently ranked 181st in the FIFA rankings, will face a tough challenge against higher-ranked opponents Vietnam (103rd) and Singapore (148th) in the coming days.