The Bangladesh U-17 academy football team will leave Dhaka on Thursday night for China to participate in the 2nd Tianyu Liufang Cup 2025, to be held in Lijiang from 20 to 28 September. Hosted by the Lijiang Municipal People’s Government, the tournament features 16 invited teams and will follow an 11-a-side format, beginning with a group stage before moving into crossover knockout rounds.
Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) executive committee member Monjurul Karim admitted that uncertainty still surrounds the fixture list. “We tried to know about the rest of the 15 teams by emailing the authority but still they did not respond, so we don’t know our oppositions yet,” he said. This lack of clarity has made the preparation more challenging, but the squad remains determined.
Head coach Md Emadul Haque Khan underlined the effort his players have put in over the past months. “Our U-17 team has been practising for a long time. Training began with 45 players. Out of them, 23 travelled to Sri Lanka for the SAFF U-17 Championship, and the remaining 18 players are flying to China for this friendly tournament,” he explained. According to him, the players are in good shape after their extended camp and are ready for the competition.
Team manager Rakibul Islam, who is taking charge of his first major assignment, stressed both his personal learning curve and the ambition of the team. “As a young manager, I have a lot of things to learn too with this young team. We want to win, but as of now, I can say a positive result is our only goal,” he said.
Captain Md Naasrullah Sheikh reflected the confidence of the squad, pointing to their long practice period as the foundation for optimism. “We are very positive about the tournament. I think we will do well,” he said.
Concerns were raised about the cooler weather conditions in Lijiang, but coach Emadul dismissed them with confidence. “Our boys are well capable of adjusting anywhere in the world. Although the temperature is very low in China, I think that won’t cause much trouble,” he said.
The BFF Academy squad for the Tianyu Liufang Cup includes goalkeepers Md Saimon and Hasnat Abdullah, with Naasrullah Sheikh leading a defensive line featuring Md Kolilur Rahman Anuar, Masud Rana, Hridoy Khalifa and Tanmoy Chandra Mallik. Midfielders such as Mohammad Nayem Ahmed, Sonjoy Tappo, Md Shopon Hossain and Rayhanul Islam Robin are expected to provide creativity, while forwards like Md Hedayet Ullah, Habibur Rahman, Md Mehedi Hassan and Abu Mohammad Talukder will look to deliver goals.
