Bangladesh’s national football team departed Dhaka on Sunday on a historic journey, becoming the first Bangladeshi side to play on European soil when they face San Marino in a FIFA international friendly on 5 June. The squad flew out of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 2:15pm on an Ethiopian Airlines flight, travelling via Addis Ababa and Rome before reaching San Marino, an enclave within Italy, ahead of the match at San Marino Stadium in Serravalle.
The mood at the airport was one of excitement and anticipation. Senior defender Topu Barman, speaking before departure, described the occasion as a landmark moment for Bangladesh football. “We are going to Europe to play for the first time. Everyone is very excited. We want to win against San Marino and give the people of Bangladesh an Eid gift,” he said.
Topu acknowledged that despite San Marino sitting at the very bottom of the FIFA rankings at 211, a position 30 places below Bangladesh, the challenge should not be underestimated. “They may be ranked lower but many of their players play in Europe and they regularly face European opposition. We will give our best against them,” he said.
New coach Thomas Dooley has been unequivocal about the expected outcome. At a press conference following Saturday’s squad announcement, he made his expectations clear. “We have to show the difference between us and them. We have to prove on the pitch why they are at the bottom and why we are not,” he said.
Dooley, appointed by the Bangladesh Football Federation on a two-year contract, began his first training camp on 25 May. The squad completed four sessions and one preparatory match before departing. They will have four further training sessions in San Marino before the match, which serves as the German-American coach’s first official assignment in charge.
Dooley cut the preliminary squad by seven players to finalise his group for the trip. Among the most notable inclusions is experienced goalkeeper Anisur Rahman Zico, who is set to return to the national team after an absence of 19 months.
Canada-based midfielder Quazem Shah, who made his debut under the previous coach Javier Cabrera but rarely featured, is also in the squad and spoke positively about the new coaching setup. “There is a difference from the previous coach. He works more on tactics, prefers passing football and connects freely with the players. He gives us more freedom,” Quazem said.
Diaspora players Hamza Choudhury, Shamit Shome and Zayyan Ahmed are scheduled to join the squad on 2 June in San Marino. Topu was relaxed about their delayed arrival. “There will be no problem with them joining late. We have been playing together for a year now. Our understanding is already very good,” he said.
