U16 boys fly to Qatar for AFC U16 Championship qualifiers
Dhaka, September 17: A 31 member Bangladesh contingent comprising of 23 U-16 players will leave for Doha on Sunday.
The AFC U16 Championship 2018 qualifiers will be played during September 20-24, 2017 in Qatar.
The Bangladesh U16 is put in Group E, which consists of heavyweights such as hosts Qatar and United Arab Emirates.
The 23 member football team comprised 15 players who featured in the SAFF U-16 Championships at Nepal. The team management added eight new faces in the team hoping to bolster the strength.
In a press meet at the BFF House on Sunday head coach Parvez Babu hoped the his team would learn and showcase the tiger’s fighting spirit against big names.
“Qatar, UAE and Yemen are all ahead of us. However, we are prepared to face the challenges ahead, we will fight for a decent result,” head coach said.
When asked about the tactical approach towards the big names, Babu, the former national team defender, said the team have adapted to play a counter attacking game, while maintaining possession if required.
Skipper Yeasin Arafat thought they have the confidence to put a good show. “We trained under scorching heat to get accustomed to the Qatari conditions. The SAFF U-16 experience in Nepal boosts our confidence.”
“We are not afraid of our opponents. We will work hard to play good football and get a result,” said Arafat.
It is worth mentioning that the core U14 players who set alight the stage of Super Mokh Cup 2016 in Malaysia, winning the Place Cup in the process, are part of the U16 squad sent.
Md Foysal Ahmed Fahim, Md Miraj Molla, Md Minhazul Karim Shadin, Md Arif Hossen are prominent members of that Mokh Cup squad who were called up to represent Bangladesh on a bigger stage.
Bangladesh faces UAE on September 20th, takes the field against Yemen on September 22nd and wraps up the campaign against hosts Qatar on September 24.
