Bangladesh U-20 team’s Thailand tour cancelled despite visas

Photo : Collected

The Bangladesh U-20 football team’s planned Thailand tour has been cancelled despite the players receiving visas, with uncertainty over the schedule leaving Indonesia to arrange another opponent.

The team were scheduled to play Indonesia in Thailand on August 25 as part of their preparations for the AFC U-20 tournament in Uzbekistan, which begins on August 31.

The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) had been working for several days to secure Thai visas for the players. The visas were finally obtained on Thursday following efforts by BFF president Tabith Awal.

However, the delay meant the team’s flight schedule remained uncertain. Indonesia subsequently decided to play another opponent, leaving Bangladesh without the planned match.

Bangladesh were also scheduled to face the United Arab Emirates in Thailand on August 18, but that match was cancelled after the team failed to obtain visas in time.

The U-20 side will now play two practice matches against Fortis and the Bangladesh Police football team in Dhaka. Both clubs are currently training.

The team had earlier planned to travel to Bahrain before Thailand, but the management decided against the trip amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Bangladesh, who recently won the SAFF U-20 Championship, have been preparing for the AFC U-20 tournament for several weeks. The team trained at the Shamsul Huda Academy in Jashore before returning to Dhaka four days ago and continuing preparations at the Kamalapur Stadium.

British coach Gerard Jones has finalised a 23-member squad, including five expatriate footballers.

Bangladesh are in Group B alongside hosts Uzbekistan, India and Syria. They will face Uzbekistan on August 31, Syria on September 3 and India on September 6.

The group winners and seven best runners-up from the eight qualifying groups will advance to the AFC U-20 Championship finals.

The tournament could also determine Jones’ future with Bangladesh, as the BFF has expressed dissatisfaction with his conduct despite his coaching experience and qualifications.