After praising the performance of both young and experienced footballers in the recently concluded SAFF Championship, the president of the Bangladesh Football Federation, Kazi Salahuddin, urged everyone to remain disciplined in the next three to four months in order to overcome the first round hurdle of World Cup Qualifiers in October.
In his remarks, Kazi Salahuddin praised the performance of both young and experienced footballers in the competition.
As a result of Bangladesh’s better performance in the regional football tournament, the team advanced to the semifinals for the first time in 14 years; nonetheless, the team still faces a difficult challenge in the shape of World Cup Qualifier competition. In matches played on a home-and-away basis on October 12 and 17, the men in red and green will compete against a higher-ranked opponent chosen from among nine teams (Indonesia, Chinese Taipei, Maldives, Yemen, Afghanistan, Singapore, Myanmar, Nepal, and Cambodia). These matches are planned to take place.
Salahuddin warned the players of the consequence that awaits Bangladesh if they are unable to go through the first round of the World Cup Qualifications by bringing up the experience of the loss that occurred in 2016 against a team as poorly as Bhutan at the same stage of World Cup Qualifiers in the same month of October.
Salahuddin addressed the players at a programme to give them a promised Tk 50 lac bonus at the BFF home yesterday, “I have a small message to all of you for which is why I have called you here,” Salahuddin said. “I have a small message to all of you for which is why I have called you here.”
“During the month of October, we will be hosting matches for both the World Cup and the Asian Cup [Qualifiers]. Should we fail to win the matches, we shall be eliminated from competition for the next three years. It is imperative that we come out on top in these matches if we want to have a full schedule for the next three years. “This is very important [for us],” the head of the BFF said.
“Over the next three to four months, I need you to show me nothing but total resolve. “Your football career is short, so you need to be absolutely disciplined; no late nights, no alcohol, and training is a must,” Salahuddin added. “Your football career will be over before you know it.” “You can get all of those things when you are 32 or 33, when there will be nothing to do and nothing to play for,” the speaker said. You are capable of doing anything.
Salahuddin said that “No player is born with talent,” with instances of Cristiano Rolando and the legendary Michael Jordan from the sport of basketball. Every athlete could be talented, but in order to succeed, they have to put in a lot of effort. You have a lot of time, [Sheikh] Morsalin, [Faisal Ahmed] Fahim, and Isa [Faisal], and now it is time to train and train some more. Play up until you’re 32, and then you may do anything you want.”
The head coach of the BFF commended not just himself but also other players, even some more experienced ones.
“{Anisur Rahman) We take a lot of satisfaction in the fact that Zico has emerged from the competition as the tournament’s top goalie. There were several new players, including the left-back Isa, who performed quite well, as well as the two central defenders, Tapu (Barman) and Tariq (Kazi). Even though Tariq committed an error throughout the tournament—something that is not uncommon in football—he made up for it afterwards and ended up having a great time.
“Both Senior Sohel Rana and Sohel Rana of Abahani fared marvelously well in their performances. The younger players such as Fahim, Morsalin, and Ridoy are the ones who will lead Bangladesh football into the future. Their performance has met and beyond my expectations. Rakib is a very remarkable individual. The famous player lauded him as Bangladesh’s finest forward at the moment. “He is now the best forward in Bangladesh.”
“If you [Rakib] practice the right way, with a disciplined mindset, and take care of yourself, you have the potential to become the greatest player South Asia has ever seen. “You can talk to the coach about it, but what you need to work on is your position sense. You have the talent and the speed; what you need to improve upon is how well you understand where you fit on the field.”
“Now is the time for you to fulfill your work, and I hope that you will do it with the utmost seriousness. The BFF boss came to the following conclusion: “If you do your job properly and play well, money will fly in.”