Bangladesh goalkeeper Anisur Rahman Zico applied for an Italian transit visa on Wednesday ahead of a friendly against San Marino on 5 June. The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) started processing documents for players and staff in Dhaka this morning. Zico returns to the national setup after losing his regular place under former coach Javier Cabrera.
Zico won the best goalkeeper award at the 2023 SAFF Championship but lost his spot following disciplinary issues. He performed well for Bashundhara Kings this season, yet Cabrera continued to exclude him. The BFF opted not to renew Cabrera’s contract and is currently interviewing replacements, including German coach Albert Storck.
The federation split the national player pool into two distinct groups. While one squad travels to San Marino, another travels to the Maldives for a four-nation tournament. Dhaka Abahani coach Maruful Haque will lead the team in the Maldives. Zico declined a spot in the Maldives-bound squad, prompting the BFF to include him in the list for the San Marino trip.
Captain Jamal Bhuyan, Hamza Choudhury, and Shamit Shome do not require visas for the journey. They hold Danish, British, and Canadian passports respectively. Other senior figures, including Topu Barman, Bishwanath Ghosh, and Rakib, provided biometric data at the visa centre today.
The BFF has not yet published the official squad lists for either tour. Technical director Saiful Bari Titu and assistant coach Hasan Al Mamun finalised the provisional selections following Cabrera’s departure. Mohammedan’s Sourav Dewan remains a notable omission from the senior list despite strong domestic form.
