Bangladesh Name 28-Man Preliminary Squad for SAFF, First Call-Ups for Ronan and Mahe
The SAFF Championship, South Asia's most celebrated football tournament, is knocking at the door, and this year's edition will be hosted by Bangladesh. Ahead of the title fight on home soil, Bangladesh have announced a 28-member preliminary squad, in which Ronan Benjamin Sullivan and Mohammad Mahe Khan have received their first call-ups alongside Hamza Dewan Choudhury and Shamit Shome.
In coach Thomas Dooley's squad, Ronan and Mahe are the new faces. Topu Barman, Isa Faysal, Syed Kazem Kirmane Shah and Mohammad Ibrahim have also returned to the team.
The coach has kept a blend of experienced and young footballers in the squad. Alongside English Premier League player Hamza Dewan Choudhury are expatriate footballers Shamit Shome, Jamal Bhuyan and Farhan Ali Wahid.
The three goalkeepers in the 28-member squad are Mitul Marma, Sujan Hossain and Mehedi Hasan Srabon, who will compete in camp for places in the final squad.
The defence includes Topu Barman, Bishwanath Ghosh, Saad Uddin, Rahmat Mia, Zidan Yusuf, Isa Faysal, Tariq Raihan Kazi and Jayan Ahmed. The return of the experienced Topu will add assurance to this department.
The midfielders are Sohel Rana Senior, Sohel Rana Junior, Md Hridoy, Hamza Dewan Choudhury, Shamit Shome, Syed Kazem Kirmane Shah, Jamal Bhuyan, Farhan Ali Wahid, Suki Itofusa and Minhazul Karim Shadin. Supporters will watch Hamza and Shamit especially closely as the heartbeat of the team.
The forwards are Sheikh Morsalin, Rakib Hossain, Faisal Ahmed Fahim, Fahamedul Islam, Mohammad Ibrahim, Ronan Benjamin Sullivan and Mohammad Mahe Khan. The inclusion of the two new faces, Ronan and Mahe, will create fresh competition in attack.
Beyond the main 28-member squad, two more footballers have been given the chance to join the camp for training. They are Md Ishak Akando and Md Asif, although their names have not been included in the main squad list.
Hosting the SAFF Championship at home is a big occasion for Bangladesh football. The pressure of winning the title in front of home spectators will be there, but that support will also be the team's biggest strength.
With the preliminary squad announced, camp preparations will now begin. Coach Thomas Dooley will select the final squad on the basis of performance and fitness in training.
Before the SAFF battle begins, every player therefore has a chance to prove himself. How well newcomers such as Ronan and Mahe can use that opportunity, and how organised a shape the team takes under the leadership of Hamza and Shamit, is where football lovers' attention now rests.
