FIFA clearance issue forces Sweden-based twin booters to return

Sweden-based Bangladeshi twin footballers Anik Rahman and Ashik Rahman are set to return home disappointed after their dream of playing in the Bangladesh Football League was halted by international transfer complications.

The twin brothers travelled all the way from Sweden to Bangladesh at their own expense, hoping to represent the historic Gopibagh-based club Brothers Union in the ongoing league season.

Before coming to Dhaka, they had discussions with the club’s coach and management, who gave them the green signal to join the team’s training camp.

Their journey began last year in June, when a special trial for expatriate footballers was organised in Dhaka.

Anik and Ashik participated in the trial and impressed the selectors with their performances.

After the trial they returned to Sweden, but during the mid-season transfer window in January, four players from that expatriate trial - including the two brothers - were recruited by Brothers.

Upon returning to Bangladesh, the twins spent nearly one month training with the squad.

During this period, they worked hard to adapt to the country’s weather, environment and playing conditions.

Their performances in training sessions and trial matches reportedly satisfied the coaching staff, paving the way for the club management to include them in the team.

However, the administrative process for their registration did not go smoothly.

The necessary transfer documents were sent to FIFA’s Player Status Committee by their Swedish fourth-division amateur club, Oranje, to complete the international clearance.

Unfortunately, the application submitted by the Swedish club reportedly contained incomplete information, which led FIFA to reject it.

Following the issue, the Bangladesh Football Federation contacted the Swedish Football Federation for clarification.

The Swedish authority also confirmed that the application sent by Oranje lacked several required details, making it impossible to complete the transfer process within the current season.

The disappointment became even more dramatic on 6 March, when Anik and Ashik were initially included in the squad for Brothers’ league match against Bangladesh Police FC.

But just five minutes before kickoff, they were suddenly informed that they had been dropped from the squad because their paperwork had not been fully cleared.

Brothers manager Amer Khan said the problem occurred due to incomplete documentation from the Swedish club. “Since the club in Sweden are an amateur side, the letter they sent did not contain all the necessary information. As a result, FIFA did not approve the transfer and we could not register the two players for this season,” he noted.

Responding to claims on social media that the brothers were leaving the country after being humiliated, Amer dismissed the allegation. “It is not true that they are returning after being humiliated. In fact, the club suffered losses because we had to release two local players to make room for them. If we had taken two local players instead, this situation would not have occurred,” he added.

With the registration process failing to be completed in time, Anik and Ashik are now scheduled to return to Sweden on 18 March.

However, there is still hope for the future, as FIFA has indicated that their registration can remain active, potentially allowing them to play for Brothers in the Football League next season.