Day satisfied with Saudi arrangements

Following the cancelation of the proposed Qatar training camp for the Bangladesh national football team due to the strict Covid related measures, the booters are all set to fly out this morning for Saudi Arabia for a better preparation of next month's World Cup Qualifiers in Qatar.

Saudi Arabia responded positively to the request of Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) to facilitate the training sessions and organize practice matches against local clubs for the boys in red and green.

Head coach Jamie Day conducted six days on-and-off the field training so far and will have another five to six days training in Dammam including one or two practice matches in between May 26 to May 29 before heading to Qatar on May 30 with the group-stage matches scheduled to begin on June 3.

"Of course it [overseas training] will help. We will get better training facilities in Saudi and games to play which we did not have here in Bangladesh. Besides, it will take less travelling time to reach Qatar on May 30," Day told The Daily Star yesterday.

Day also announced his final 25-member squad, keeping winger Mohammad Ibrahim, subject to his Covid-19 report before May 28. Winger Saad Uddin, who left the camp on Saturday night with his old knee injury and Rezaul Islam, who has passport related issue and goalkeeper Pappu Hossain have been dropped from the 28-member preliminary squad in which Bishwanath Ghosh could not join.

"It [Saad] is a big loss and we also lost [Bishwanath] Ghosh and [Nabib Newaj] Jibon but that gives someone else a chance in the squad," said Day.