National team’s management committee’s chairman Kazi Nabil Ahmed, MP, categorically admitted that it will be very challenging for them to host FIFA friendly matches during this Covid-19 situation.
“Yes this matter is very challenging ….. as we are going to start camp, so we’ll have to take help from others … We’ll take steps after negotiating with the youth and sports ministry and others … the thing which we’ll do may not be a foolproof because there is no such things as foolproof in this situation right now .. our main motto is to keep our team safe keep the opposite team safe and above all to host the matches perfectly,” Nabil said to the pressmen through a virtual press conference on Wednesday.
Nabil informed that the national team will start practice from Friday (October 23) ahead of their two FIFA friendly matches against Nepal football team scheduled to be held on November 13 and 17. The players will have to report to Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel where the camp will be taking place for the matches.
The coaching staff, who are now staying abroad, are expected to join on October 29 while the two foreign players Tariq Raihan Kazi and Jamal Bhuyan are expected to arrive in Dhaka on October 28 and 29 respectively, he added.
He said the players and officials will have to join the national team’s camp with COVID-19 report and they will be tested further after a week after joining the camp.
The third phase final test of the players and officials will be done on November 9 or 10, three or four day’s before the first match. Players and officials of Nepal football team will also be tested on the same date.
Replying to a question Nabil said though the team’s coaches are far away from the players but they have been observing the team’s activities. The players are known to the coaches and programmes have been given to them which are done by the local coaches.
“The football match is being held in the other countries of the world with a small number of spectators, we’ll hope that we can allow also a small number of spectators in the stadium during the matches though this matter will be decided in the inter-ministerial meeting which we’ll ultimately follow their decision, Nabil told to a questioner when asked whether the spectators will be allowed in the stadium during the match or not.
The national team’s management committee’s chairman said the Nepal team would come here by chartered flight. Before the flight the Nepal players will be tested there and if they are negative, then the players will come here and after their arrival here they will be tested again… I don’t think that fourteen day’s give guarantee or anything like that in Covid-19 case as usually symptoms mostly show within four or five days…. we’ll do the best we can so that the matches can happen.
Nabil said in the last six and seven months our national team’s or players are out of any kind of football activity or regular match or any other game. But our coaches have been giving them a regular training program, individual training program or fitness program which the players have been following diligently as possible and our head coach and coaches have been monitoring eagerly and closely. We do realize football is ultimately not an individual match , it’s a match of eleven players. So all of the players know each other.
At the same time the Nepal team is not much advanced than us, they have just started practice.
The matches which we’ll play to win against Nepal but winning is not only a triteria over here. We hope it’ll be the beginning of our national team’s activities and hope we’ll follow more programs later on, Nabil concluded.
