Bangladesh receives bad news following a big win at the SAFF championship

BanglaPress Desk: The Bangladesh team is in excellent form, having thrashed Sri Lanka 4-0 in the SAFF Championship on home soil. However, amidst the joy of topping their group and advancing to the semi-finals at the National Stadium, the 'Red and Greens' have suffered a major blow: in-form defender Saad Uddin has been ruled out of the remainder of the tournament due to a serious injury.

Saad left the pitch in the 81st minute of Wednesday’s (November 11) match after sustaining an injury. It was severe enough that he had to be carried off on a stretcher and taken directly to a hospital by ambulance. Medical reports indicate a tear in his ankle tendon. While it is not yet confirmed whether surgery will be required, team sources have indicated that he will play no further part in this edition of the SAFF Championship.

Saad had been in great form since the recent FIFA ASEAN Cup in Indonesia. He started in both of the opening matches of the SAFF Championship, serving as a reliable anchor for the defense. His injury has left coach Tom Saintfiet (Thomas Dooley) deeply concerned; in an informal discussion following the match, the coach noted that the injury is quite serious and that there is virtually no chance of Saad returning to the tournament.

Amidst the bad news regarding Saad, there is some relief concerning Topu Barman and Bishwanath Ghosh. Both experienced defenders, who had been sidelined for several days due to injuries, participated in a near-full training session with the squad today. The morning training session primarily involved players who did not feature in the previous day’s match, while those who played against Sri Lanka underwent a recovery session at the team hotel.

As the entire nation gets swept up in the excitement of the SAFF Championship—featuring players like Hamza Choudhury—on home soil for the first time in eight years, some shortcomings in team management have also come to light. Iqbal Hossain, the official team leader and a member of the BFF (Bangladesh Football Federation) Executive Committee, has not been seen at training sessions or the stadium over the past few days. Although Amirul Islam Babu holds the position of manager, the primary coordination tasks are being handled by coordinator Amer Khan. Meanwhile, Federation member Imtiaz Hamid Sabuj—who does not hold any formal position within the team—has been working tirelessly since the start of the training camp, providing support at the hotel, the airport, and the training ground.