Full squad arrives, Morsalin worry remains

Bangladesh’s squad reached full strength in Jakarta on Tuesday ahead of their FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 campaign, but midfielder Shekh Morsalin remains a fitness concern before Friday’s opener against Malaysia.

Head coach Thomas Dooley welcomed the final arrivals after debutant Farhaan Ali Wahid joined on Monday night, followed by Shamit Shome on Tuesday morning. Sohel Rana Junior also arrived after resolving visa complications, completing the squad.

“I am very happy everybody is here now. Morsalin has some issues with his calf, so hopefully we get the pictures tonight and he can train tomorrow,” Dooley said.

“Otherwise, I am glad everybody's here. We had a good session today. Great field, great facility... The energy is good.”

However, the coach acknowledged that limited preparation time could pose a challenge as the players work to build understanding.

“The sad thing is we have only two, three days to prepare for the first game with the whole squad, so they have to find each other,” he added.

“There are new players. They haven't played with Shamit, Hamza, and obviously Farhaan. Farhaan looks good.”

Shome, meanwhile, said the new additions had increased competition within the squad's competitive edge.

“The team looks sharp and training went really well. I am very impressed with the new guys. Everyone adds something to the group, which improves our squad and competition,” he said.

“We all share one goal: to win matches for Bangladesh.”

Describing the tournament as a major opportunity, Shome added that Bangladesh must use the FIFA event to demonstrate their ability to compete at a higher level.

Bangladesh begin their Group A campaign against Malaysia on 25 September at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium. They will then face Singapore on 28 September before taking on hosts Indonesia on 1 October.