AFC
A 27-man squad has been named by the Bangladesh Football Federation as they gear up to face Qatar in Group E of the Asian Qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup China 2023 on December 4.
Assistant coach Stuart Watkiss, who has taken temporary charge of the squad after head coach Jamie Day tested positive for COVID-19, is aware of the challenge that lays ahead for his side.
“We will go to Doha and will have two weeks to prepare. Everybody knows the importance of the game. Qatar are Asian champions and they will provide a massive challenge,” Watkiss said to local media.
Bangladesh will play warm-up matches against local clubs in Doha on November 25 and 28 as part of the build-up for the tie against reigning AFC Asian Cup champions Qatar at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium on December 4.
The South Asian side will head to Doha with some valuable match exposure already under their belt, having defeated Nepal 2-0 and drawn 0-0 in friendlies during the recent international window.
Bangladesh are bottom of Group E of the Asian Qualifiers with one point while Qatar lead the standings with 13. Oman, Afghanistan and India are the other teams in the group.