Nepal friendlies on 15th, 17th

Bangladesh is set to host Nepal for two international friendly matches later this week at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka. The two friendlies, slated for July 15 and 17, are believed to have been arranged as a preparation for Bangladesh's Asian Cup qualifying playoffs against Bhutan in September and October.

While the All Nepal Football Association has already declared a full-strength 21-man squad for these two fixtures, which they are in turn using as preparation for November's AFC Solidarity Cup, Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) has yet to confirm the details of the matches officially.

“The correspondence with our Nepalese counterparts began during the Eid holidays, and both the parties have agreed on the issue. However, we will officially confirm everything about the matches after a National Teams Committee meeting tomorrow [Sunday],” Abu Nayeem Shohag, general secretary of Bangladesh Football Association, told reporters yesterday.

The BFF general secretary further informed that Tom Saintfiet, the Belgian coach who has been chosen for the post of the national team's head coach, will arrive in Dhaka on the morning of July 12 and is expected initiate a preparation camp later that day.

“Saintfiet will start training the team here in Dhaka on the day he arrives [Tuesday], and he will have a good idea about the players by the time the two matches are over. He has already made a list of 32 players, from which the squad for the Nepal matches and the qualifying matches against Bhutan will be selected,” said Shohag. “The details of his contract will be finalised in the meantime. Saintfit had asked for a goalkeeping coach and a fitness trainer. We have said that those things will be decided later while the issue of the Australian technical director will be discussed as well during this time.”

Shohag informed that the Belgian has been apprised of the security situation here in the wake of the Gulshan attacks. The Nepal team are expected to arrive in Dhaka on Wednesday.

After the two matches, Saintfiet will watch the fixtures of the Bangladesh Premier League, which is scheduled to kick off on July 24 in Chittagong.