Following a successful run at the 2023 South Asian Football Federation Championship in Bengaluru, India, the Bangladesh senior men’s football team traveled back to their home nation on Monday.
Everyone, with the exception of Bangladesh’s captain Jamal Bhuiyan, left as soon as they could for their various homes after arriving.
Emiliano Martinez, the goalie for Argentina that won the World Cup, was present at the airport to board a flight to Kolkata after a brief visit to Bangladesh, and Jamal made an effort to see him. Despite this, the captain of the Bangladesh team could only stand a safe distance away from the Argentine number one.
Bangladesh captain Jamal Bhuiyan (M). Image: Best Friends Forever
During the previous two weeks, Bangladesh played some magnificent football, and as a result, they were able to prove their skeptics wrong and earn a spot in the semifinals of the regional tournament for the first time in 14 years. The presentation of talented young people was like a breath of fresh air and offered the possibility of a prosperous future.
A player like Mohammad Ridoy, who worked at the base of the midfield like a seasoned campaigner, is an example of this kind of player who captured notice while doing it in a low-key manner.
On the day of their departure, Ridoy gave an interview to The Daily Star in which he said that “as players, we have to be disciplined individually and team-wise to keep this standard,” and that this was necessary “so that our football gets better in the coming days.”
If we are able to put in more effort over the next several days, we will be rewarded for it. Additionally, the coaching staff will be required to work more closely with us, he said.
In addition to their comeback victories over Maldives and Bhutan, the men in red and green saved their greatest performance for the final match. They won the hearts of millions of people despite losing 1-0 against a considerably better Kuwaiti team, and the result was overshadowed by Ridoy and company’s amazing effort for more than 120 minutes.
Ridoy’s thoughts were mirrored by another player for Abahani, winger Faisal Ahmed Fahim, who is also 21 years old and plays the position.
Because we are all professional players, maintaining this level of quality and consistency is something that is well within our capabilities. If we are able to retain the same level of dedication that we did throughout the SAFF Championship, then it will be extremely easy for us to keep up with this level of performance.