National head coach Lodewijk de Kruif has almost finalised his squad for the Saff Championship after cutting four booters from the national camp to reduce the squad to 26 yesterday.
Young midfielders Yusuf Sifat and Nahidul Islam, wing back Arup Baidya and defender Topu Barman were the players excluded by de Kruif, who explained that there were better players to play in those positions at the moment. The coach asked the excluded to players to work hard for the future, who remain on the stand-by list and will be available if needed.
De Kruif started his camp with 35 footballers, including three expatriates on July 1. Denmark based Jamal Bhuiyan looks set to get a slot in the squad while Australia based Anando Rahman left the camp citing problems in adapting to the conditions. The third expatriate, US based Farhan Khan, attended the camp for three days before leaving due to academic commitments.
Defender Rezaul Karim Reza, who had been sidelined with a foot injury for the last five months, impressed de Kruif while playing against the national team in a practice match and is being considered by the coach.
Meanwhile Muhammet Yamali, the Dutch trainer of the national team, expressed satisfaction with the player’s fitness levels. “Two weeks ago when I took charge, the players were standing between three or four, now they have reached six or seven. After the arrival of head coach and as per his requirements I have initiated our training with an eye to increasing endurance levels, there has been weight and power training. The players are responding well and they have been improving,” said Yamali.
Asked about the injured players, Yamali said,” Zahid and Rony are doing well. Today they trained very hard and tomorrow they will join the group and have weight and power training and I hope they can play in Wednesday’s match (against Arambagh).”
The trainer said the players are still to reach the peak. “The general view of the players is they are fit for first 60-minute, I will have to work hard for the last 30 minutes and I have already started the endurance program, which will be continued in Thailand also. Conditions are hard at the moment and it takes a lot of oxygen. What I can do is try to increase stamina and strength and it is not possible to do that in only two weeks because it is a long-term process and I am working on it,” he said.
Yamajli, a Muslim, added that he was fasting for the month of Ramadan. “I am fasting. I don’t know whether the players are fasting or not. I did not provide any special diet for the players for Ramadan but what I have to say is that they have to sleep a lot.”
