Fahamedul Islam will miss Bangladesh’s upcoming Asian Cup qualifier against India on 18 November after receiving two yellow cards in the group stage, resulting in an automatic one-match suspension under Asian Football Confederation (AFC) rules.
According to the AFC’s competition bylaws, any player shown two yellow cards across matches becomes ineligible for the next fixture. Fahamedul, who is based in Italy, picked up his first card on debut against Singapore on 10 June in Dhaka. His second booking came in the away match against Hong Kong on Tuesday, ruling him out of the crucial home tie against India.
Bangladesh have collected nine yellow cards in four matches so far in the qualifiers, averaging over two per game. Hridoy and Mojibur Rahman Jony were both cautioned in the first match against India on 25 March.
The highest number of cards came in the home match against Singapore, where four Bangladeshi players were booked. Those included defenders Shakil Ahaad Topu and Topu Barman, as well as forwards Fahim and Fahamedul. In the home fixture against Hong Kong on 9 October, Rakib Hossain was cautioned. In the most recent away match, both Fahamedul and Tariq received yellow cards.
This raises further concerns for Bangladesh, as any player already carrying a yellow card who is booked against India will miss the 30 March match against Singapore.
Preparations for the India match are scheduled to begin in the final week of October. With Fahamedul suspended, he is unlikely to be named in the preliminary squad. However, the final decision rests with head coach Javier Cabrera.
Cabrera, who has been in charge of the national team for more than three years, is facing increasing scrutiny. Bangladesh once again failed to qualify for the Asian Cup, and criticism of the coaching staff has intensified. With just three weeks left before the India match, it remains to be seen whether the Bangladesh Football Federation will take any decision regarding the coach’s future.
