Bangladesh football team head coach Javier Cabrera surprisingly left out this season’s top scorer in domestic football Nabib Newaj Jibon from the 27-member national preliminary squad for next month’s Fifa friendlies against Cambodia and Nepal.
The men in red and green will travel to Cambodia for the September 22 friendly before heading to Nepal for their second Fifa friendly on September 27 and the notable absentee would be Jibon, the Abahani Limited striker with highest nine goals this season.
Jibon, who made his international bow in 2015, is one of the most consistent local performers in the domestic scene in recent years, when most of his compatriots have paled in comparison to the foreign booters.
His exclusion therefore is a surprising one and Jibon duly expressed amazement following his snub to Bangla Tribune, “I scored nine goals this season. Has any Bangladesh striker scored this many?”
The 37-year old Cabrera instead decided to include Matin Mia, Sazzad Hossain and Sumon Reza but none of the trio have been in scoring touch of late.
The coach gave his explanation for Jibon’s axing at Bangladesh Football Federation House Thursday during the squad announcement, saying “It is not that Jibon does not suit our system. I believe those strikers I have called up will be able to adapt to our ideas, they can make improvement. I am hoping for this. But see the thing is, Jibon has scored five goals in Bangladesh Premier League, while some netted four. How many goals they score is not of paramount importance, what is more important is how fit they were in matches from our perspective, and according to our team identity.”
Jibon found it difficult to come to terms with the fact that he doesn’t belong in Cabrera’s plans and ideas.
“I am always disciplined, there was even more discipline when Jamie Day was here. Actually I think the team has been set up differently. What do I have to say here?” said Jibon.
“Have you ever heard of any instances of me being undisciplined? I have never been show caused. There were countless times in the past when players arrived one or two days late in the national camp. What will I say, maybe my playing style is not in sync with his preferred playing style. He said what he thought.”
Jibon, who has seldom been dropped from the national side in seven years, sounded less hopeful when queried of his Bangladesh future under Cabrera.
“Obviously I have to return to the national side. But I don’t think it will happen under this coach. But I will continue to fight. I couldn’t even envisage being omitted from the squad this way.
Squad
Anisur Rahman Zico, Ashraful Islam Rana, Yeasin Arafat, Bishwanath Ghosh, Tariq Raihan Kazi, Rimon Hossain, Sohel Rana, Mohammad Atiqur Rahman Fahad, Masuk Mia Joni, Biplo Ahmed, Mohammad Ibrahim, Suman Reza, Matin Mia, Mahfuz Hasan Pritom, Tutul Hossain Badshah, Rakib Hossain, Riyadul Hasan, Jamal Bhuiyan, Faisal Ahmed Fahim, Sazzad Hossain, Rahmat Mia, Hemanta Vincent Biswas, Mohammad Nayeem, Rayhan Hasan, Emon Shahriar, Sohel Rana and Isa Faisal
