Bangladesh will play a friendly match against Afghanistan at home as part of their preparation for November’s AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers home fixture against India.

To play in the main stage of the AFC Asian Cup, the outcome of the return match against Hong Kong, China will determine the future of the team.

Bangladesh head coach Javier Cabrera has praised the leadership depth within his squad, highlighting the presence of multiple players capable of guiding the team both on and off the pitch.

Hamza Choudhury will lead the midfield along with Sohel Rana Sr, Sohel Rana Jr and Sheikh Morsalin.

Bangladesh will be desperate to secure all three points and keep their qualification hopes alive when they face Hong Kong, China in a crucial Asian Cup encounter tonight. The match kicks off at 8:00pm at the National Stadium in Dhaka.

Hong Kong, China head coach Ashley Westwood made headlines during Wednesday's pre-match press conference ahead of their Asian Cup Qualifiers clash against Bangladesh, suggesting he would likely bench Leicester City midfielder Hamza Choudhury if he were in his own squad.

Mahama Awal, a Cameroonian-born naturalised forward for Hong Kong, China, is expecting a tough challenge from Bangladesh in front of a packed National Stadium in Dhaka on October 9.

Former India player Khalid Jamil was on Friday appointed coach of the struggling national men's football team, a month after Spain's Manolo Marquez stepped down following poor results.