Bangladesh coach Javier Cabrera finds himself at a defining crossroads, blessed with a momentous opportunity to shape the very future of the country’s football.

The skies opened up over the capital on Tuesday afternoon, drenching the National Stadium in a torrential downpour that cut short Bangladesh’s first training session for the Asian Cup Qualifiers fixture against Hong Kong, China at home on October 9.

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 footballers offered Eid-ul-Adha prayer together at a mosque in the capital today.

Bangladesh star midfielder Hamza Choudhury marked his home debut in style, scoring in the sixth minute to give the men in red and green an early lead in their FIFA friendly against Bhutan at the National Stadium in Dhaka on Wednesday.

A few expatriates have made their way into Bangladesh football in recent times, with Canada-based Shamit Shome being the latest addition after England-based Hamza Choudhury, Fahamedul Islam from Italy, Finland-based Tarik Kazi, and Denmark-based Jamal Bhuiyan.

The National Sports Council (NSC) has called upon all federations in the country to integrate high-skilled athletes of Bangladeshi origin and encourage them to represent Bangladesh. 

According to the long-serving captain, the most notable transformation since Hamza’s arrival has been a dramatic rise in team confidence.

Jamal Bhuiyan, the most-capped player in Bangladesh’s history, is slowly becoming a peripheral figure in the team despite being the captain. To know his views on this issue and his overall plans in football, The Daily Star's Anisur Rahman and Atique Anam caught up with the Denmark-born midfielder. Following are the excerpts of the interview.

Hamza Choudhury was named in the starting XI for Bangladesh in their AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers fixture against India, with regular captain Jamal Bhuiyan kept on the bench.

As Bangladesh gear up for their crucial Asian Cup Qualifiers fixture against India, captain Jamal Bhuiyan likened the excitement surrounding Hamza Choudhury’s homecoming to that of a global superstar.

Bangladesh national football team captain Jamal Bhuiyan said it would be a proud moment for the country to see Leicester City midfielder Hamza Choudhury put on a red and green jersey, but wants to see more players like Hamza playing in the Bangladesh ranks.

Bangladesh coach Javier Cabrera has not included captain Jamal Bhuiyan in the preliminary squad for the upcoming FIFA friendlies against Maldives at home next month.

Bangladesh football team were expecting tough competition from Bhutan in the two FIFA friendly fixtures, the first of which kicks off at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu at 6:00pm today. And that is not necessarily due to the strength of the opposition but also an apparent lack of match-practice and fitness of the Bangladesh players.

Bangladesh football team captain Jamal Bhuiyan said that he had signed a contract with a local club on Friday but the midfielder was among the ones who were excluded from the list of players registered by the clubs for the upcoming Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

It remains unclear whether he was not offered any contracts or if he declined the offers as he has been abroad.

Bangladesh stood their ground against Australia in their second leg match of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, but couldn’t avoid a 2-0 defeat against the superior opponents on a ‘heavy’ field at the Bashundhara Kings Arena in Dhaka on Thursday.

Bangladesh captain Jamal Bhuiyan posted a heartfelt tribute to India’s retiring captain Sunil Chhetri on his official Facebook page today, terming the India captain an inspiration for his country and wishing him all the best.

The Bangladesh captain shared his Eid experience in Copenhagen.

“It is a special day for Bangladeshi people and we want to give a gift to them. Of course, we want to win it,” Jamal told the reporters today.