The year 2023 may easily be labeled as the finest year for men’s football in Bangladesh in recent years, as the national squad played well for a change.
However, a handful of off-field incidents tainted the on-field performances and converted 2023 into an above-average year, which is still a welcome shift from the previous years’ decreasing trend.
The first blow was delivered on the first day of the Bengali calendar.
When everyone of Bangladesh was enjoying the beginning of the new year on April 14, 2023, the people in control of the country’s football were suffering from a massive blow.
On that day, FIFA issued a two-year suspension on Bangladesh Football Federation’s long-serving general secretary Abu Nayeem Shohag and accused a few others in its findings, exposing persistent violations in the BFF’s use of FIFA money.
The report’s findings and recommendations were far-reaching, since they discovered long-standing financial irregularities in a number of sectors, providing proof to what had previously been simply murmurs.
Following that, the BFF conducted its own lengthy inquiry. However, not much came of the investigation, as individuals named in the report either resigned or were deprived of their responsibilities, while others in higher positions went free.
Another incident that shook Bangladesh football was when a number of national team players were discovered carrying excessive quantities of booze without a permission while coming home after serving with the Bashundhara Kings in the Maldives.
Unlike the federation-led inquiry, the Kings’ probe was quick, and the penalty was severe.
Four of the five players accused by the club were major members of the Bangladesh squad, and their suspension put the national team in a difficult position ahead of vital World Cup Qualifying matches.
Credit must be given to the national team management, particularly the coaching staff led by Javier Cabrera, for cautiously navigating the situation and shepherding the team to success in the playoff for the World Cup Qualifying group stage, which was built on impressive performances earlier in the year in the SAFF Championship and friendly matches against strong oppositions.
Crowds flocked to the galleries as a result of the excellent performances on the field. The Bashundhara Kings Arena was packed as Bangladesh defeated the Maldives in the second leg of the playoff and Cabrera’s team held Lebanon to a 1-1 tie.
The Federation Cup final in Cumilla between Abahani and Mohammedan gathered the largest attendance for a domestic football game in recent history, and credit to the teams as the final lived up to expectations and became one of the best in Bangladesh’s football history.
A few youth were in the forefront of Bangladesh football’s great steps this year, playing crucial parts in a historic SAFF Championship campaign and subsequently guiding the team to the World Cup Qualifiers.
Young striker Sheikh Morsalin went from prodigy to national hero in a couple of games, as his superb goals saved Bangladesh from another group stage elimination and rocketed them to the semifinals of the SAFF Championship.
Faisal Ahmed Fahim, another teenage striker on the national team, grew quickly and was instrumental in the team’s triumph against the Maldives.
However, the finest player this year was likely Rakib Hossain, whose speed and dribbling caught many opposing defenders off guard and whose finishing ability improved as the year proceeded.
Meanwhile, Captain Jamal Bhuiyan’s pilgrimage from Dhaka to Buenos Aires sparked interest in social and mainstream media, as did Argentina’s World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and retired Brazilian World Cup winner Ronaldinho’s brief stops in Dhaka, despite the fact that the events were extremely private, leaving the football fraternity and general football fans with a bitter taste.
This year’s blunders and transgressions provide a chance for the Bangladesh football administration and players to learn and grow. If they succeed, the next year may be even more spectacular for Bangladesh football.