Mohammedan demand nine players back from camp

Mohammedan Sporting Club are on a collision course with the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) after officially demanding the immediate return of nine players from the national team training camp ahead of the new domestic season.

Having already failed to persuade the governing body to delay the start of the season, the historic club is now at odds over player availability. The BFF recently published the domestic calendar, confirming the league will kick off on 18 September, followed by the Federation Cup on 22 September.

In a formal letter, Mohammedan asked for their players to be released from the national setup today, just two days before the league begins. However, as of late last night, the national team committee had not reached a decision, and no players had been given the green light to leave the camp.

The nine players are currently preparing for the upcoming ASEAN Cup with the Bangladesh squad are goalkeepers Anisur Rahman Zico and Sujon Hossain, defenders Shakil Ahad topu, Rahmat Mia and Saad Uddin, midfielder Mohammed Sohel Rana, wingers Foysal Ahmed Fahim and Shahriar Emon, alongside striker Sourav Dewan.

In their letter directed to BFF general secretary Imran Hossain Tushar, the club stressed that being without these core players is severely damaging their pre-season preparations. 

Despite being one of the first clubs to finalise their squad, the Black and Whites have not yet been able to start full team training. The club noted that with the official FIFA international window opening on 24 September, they are only strictly required by the rules to release their players on 21 September.

The unrest follows a previous push led by Mohammedan, alongside several other clubs, demanding the domestic league be delayed until after the ASEAN Cup. That request was ultimately ignored by the BFF.

Although Mohammedan do not have a match in the opening round of the league, they have formally requested to reschedule their second-round league fixture on 25 September, and their Federation Cup match on 25 September. 

Unusually, while the Professional League Committee holds authority over the domestic schedule, Mohammedan chose to bypass them, directing their appeal for a fixture change straight to the federation's general secretary.