Hamza arrives in Dhaka for SAFF, Farhan's arrival delayed by flight hold-up
Bangladesh national football team star midfielder Hamza Dewan Chowdhury has arrived in Dhaka to play in the SAFF Championship. He landed in Bangladesh from England with his family at 6:30 on Monday morning.
Hamza is expected to join training with the national team this afternoon. His preparation for the remaining SAFF matches will begin once he takes to the training ground with the team.
The SAFF Championship began on 5 November. Hamza, however, could not play in the Bangladesh-Bhutan match. With no FIFA window in force at the time, his club did not release him.
The FIFA window opens today, which has allowed Hamza to join the national team. During a FIFA window, clubs are obliged to release players for national duty.
Alongside Hamza, another expatriate footballer, Farhan Ali Wahid, is also arriving in Dhaka from England today. He had been scheduled to land at 9:30 in the morning.
But his connecting Qatar Airways flight was delayed, so Farhan's arrival time has been rescheduled. He is now expected to reach Dhaka at 7:30 in the evening.
Because of the delay, Farhan will not be able to take part in today's training session. His training with the team will begin tomorrow.
Farhan made his debut in a Bangladesh shirt at the ASEAN Cup in Indonesia. In this SAFF, he will get his first chance to play a home match on home soil.
The arrival of Hamza and Farhan is expected to strengthen the Bangladesh team. Both are joining the national side with experience of playing in England.
The presence of the two footballers in the remaining SAFF matches is a big relief for Bangladesh. The team's supporters are also eagerly waiting to see them on the field.
