Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) on Friday announced a 23-member final national squad which is due to fly for Melbourne on Friday night at 11 pm to play Australia in their first qualification round-2 match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 hoping to play with fighting spirit.
Touring Bangladesh will play their 2nd round Group I away match against the World Cup playing stronger Australia in Melbourne on Nov 16, reports UNB.
Soon after returning from Australia, Bangladesh team will play their home match of the World Cup Qualifiers against Lebanon on November 21 at Bashundhara Kings Arena in Dhaka.
Meanwhile, BFF President Kazi Salahuddin visited the residential camp of the national team at the team hotel and inspired and briefed the national booters on Friday on eve of their departure.
Later, the Spanish Head Coach of Bangladesh team Javier Cabrera announced the 23- member final squad including forward Shekh Morsalin.
Forward Shekh Morsalin, who was earlier temporarily suspended by his club Bashundhara Kings, included in the 23- member Australia bound final squad in place of Motin Mia.
Seven out of 30 preliminarily selected booters--custodian Mahfuz Hasan Pritom, defender Riyadul Hasan, Alomgir Mollah, midfielder Chandan Roy and forward Dipok Roy, Arman Foysal Akash and Rahimuddin --were dropped from the 23-member final squad.
Bangladesh played Australia on two occasions earlier under the present captain Jamal Bhuyan in the qualification round of the 2015 FIFA World Cup.
Bangladesh suffered 0-5 goals defeat in their away match in Perth and conceded 0-4 goals defeat against them in home match in Dhaka.
Australia was eliminated from the last FIFA World Cup in Qatar losing to World Champions Argentina by 1-2 goals.
Earlier in a pre tour press conference at the Bashundhara Kings Arena Thursday, the Spanish Head Coach of Bangladesh team Javier Cabrera said, It will be a positive sign for us if we will be able to play good and fighting football against them (Australia) on their soil.
"Our mentally is very important rather than the result, Australia will dominate over us, but we have to maintain our present form and fighting spirit against them, he added.
Bangladesh captain Jamal Bhuyan said, "we want play a good football (against Australia), we are confident of our ability and about the match, although Australia is far far better than us in ranking and strength".
"Recently, we are playing a good football, we beat Maldives, played good football against Afghanistan, It's very important for us to perform against Australia with our fighting spirit," Bangladesh captain further added.
Bangladesh earned the rights to play in the six-match home and away basis Group I matches of the FIFA World Cup's Asian qualifiers with Australia, Lebanon and Palestine eliminating the Maldives in the round 1 match last month.
23- member final squad of Bangladesh
Goalkeepers: Mitul Marma, Mehdi Hassan Srabon, and Pappu Hossain
Defenders: Bishwanath Ghosh, Hasan Murad, Tareq Raihan Kazi, Rahmat Mia, Isa Faysal, Shakil Hossain and Saad Uddin
Midfielders: Sohel Rana, Shekh Morsalin, Mohammad Ridoy, Md Sohel Rana, Mojibor Rahman Jony, Rabiul Hasan, Jamal Bhuyan and Jayed Ahmed;
Forwards: Rakib Hossain, Sumon Reza, Foysal Ahmed Fahim, Rafiqul Islam and Mohammad Ibrahim.
