Bangladesh football team captain Jamal Bhuyan has expressed his desire to see Shamit Shome, Fahamedul Islam, Zayyan Ahmed, and himself included in the starting eleven.

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

A four-goal spree in 12 second-half minutes saw the men in red and green beat Singapore.

Bangladesh’s 2-1 defeat to Singapore in the Asian Cup Qualifiers wasn’t just a defeat -- it was a missed opportunity to build something better with the right tools finally in hand. And that’s exactly what former striker and Mohammedan’s league-winning coach Alfaz Ahmed is talking about: we finally have the parts, but we don’t know how to assemble the machine.

The Daily Star’s Ekush Tapadar, Anisur Rahman, and Atique Anam delve into Bangladesh’s prospects in this much-anticipated encounter, examine the influence of these high-profile players on the national team and address the persistent issues crippling the country's domestic football.

Bangladesh football star Hamza Choudhury marked his home debut in style, scoring an early goal to help the men in red and green secure a 2-0 victory over Bhutan in a FIFA friendly at the National Stadium on Wednesday.

To aid preparations, the committee also announced plans for a practice match against a foreign team on June 5.

The public outcry over the departure of Italy-based Bangladeshi footballer Fahamedul Islam from the national team carried over to the second day with the sports adviser Asif Mahmud and Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) president Tabith Awal having to weigh in on the issue today.

Bangladesh football team head coach Javier Cabrera said Italy-based Bangladeshi footballer Fahamedul Islam was sent home after the national team’s camp in Saudi Arabia as the youngster needs more time to adapt and there are more suitable options available in the squad at the moment.

Italy-based Bangladeshi footballer Fahamedul Islam has left the Bangladesh football team contingent and returned to Italy after the camp in Saudi Arabia as the 18-year-old fell short of head coach Javier Cabrera’s expectations.

Sheffield United midfielder Hamza Choudhury has been named alongside Italy-based young midfielder Fahamedul Islam in the 38-member preliminary squad for Bangladesh’s first Asian Cup Qualifiers match against India, which will be held in Shilong on March 25.