Bangladesh national football team

Infobox National football team
Name = Bangladesh
Badge = Bangladesh FA.gif
FIFA Trigramme = BAN
FIFA Rank = 179
1st ranking date = August 1993
FIFA max = 110
FIFA max date = April 1996
FIFA min = 183
FIFA min date = June 2008

Elo Rank = 191
Nickname = Bengal Tigers
Association = Bangladesh Football Federation
Confederation = AFC (Asia)
Coach = flagicon|Bangladesh Shafiqul Islam Manik
Most caps = Kazi Salahuddin

Top scorer = Kazi Salahuddin
Home Stadium = Bangabandhu National Stadium

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First game = Flagicon|Bangladesh Bangladesh 2 - 2 Thailand Flagicon|Thailand
(Malaysia; July 26, 1973)
Largest win = Flagicon|Bangladesh Bangladesh 8 - 0 Maldives Flagicon|Maldives (Bangladesh; December 21, 1985)
Largest loss = Flagicon|South Korea South Korea 9 - 0 Bangladesh Flagicon|Bangladesh (South Korea; September 16, 1979)
World cup apps =
World cup first =
World cup best =
Regional name = AFC Asian Cup
Regional cup apps = 1
Regional cup first = 1980
Regional cup best = Round 1, 1980
2ndRegional name = South Asian Football Federation Cup
2ndRegional cup apps = 6
2ndRegional cup first = 1995
2ndRegional cup best = Winners - 2003

The Bangladesh national football team (Bangla: বাংলাদেশ জাতীয় ফুটবল দল) is the national team of Bangladesh and is controlled by the Bangladesh Football Federation. It is a member of the AFC. The side has yet to qualify for a FIFA World Cup tournament. They were dismissed in the first round of their only Asian Cup appearance to date in 1980, and have been South Asian champions once, in 2003. As is the case elsewhere on the subcontinent, top-level football in Bangladesh is played somewhat in the shadow of the country's test cricket team. The team was founded in 1972, and joined FIFA in 1974.Fact|date=May 2008

Apart from wins over Indonesia and Thailand in their first ever World Cup qualification in 1986, Bangladesh has struggled to impose itself. At the regional level, they have also remained in the second echelon while in Asia, the team is constantly trying to avoid being the wooden spoon of their group.

During the 2001 Millennium Super Cup, Bangladesh were elimanated in the group stage by finalists Yugoslavian Premier League XI and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

However, the Association is currently working hand in hand with the Vision Asia programme which will see it restructuring its domestic league as well as initiating more youth programmes.Fact|date=May 2008 These initiatives are coming at the right time for football in Bangladesh.

Football in Bangladesh has a huge following which was exemplified when the national team made history in their victory at the South Asian Football Federation Cup in 2003. The South Asia side won the final via penalties over Maldives before 50,000 home supporters.

Kazi Salahuddin is Bangladesh's most famous footballer, having played professional football in Hong Kong, the first Bangladeshi player to ever do so.

Another famous player is Chingla Mong Chowdhury Murruy. He is a renowned soccer personality in Bangladesh. He used to play before the liberation war from 1952-1969, he was the captain of white team of East Pakistan in the state championship. He coached brtc, was an advisor in bksp, and also received his national award in football. He also fought in the liberation war in 1971 for his country. Bangladesh's current head coach is Abu Yusuf, a former defender.Fact|date=May 2008

=World Cup record=

*1930 to 1982 - "Did not enter; was part of British Empire until 1947 and then part of Pakistan between 1947-1971"
*1986 to 2010 - "Did not qualify"

Asian Cup record

* 1956 to 1976 - "Did not enter"
* 1980 - Round 1
* 1984 to 1992 - "Did not qualify"
* 1996 - "Did not qualify"
* 2000 to 2007 - "Did not qualify"

=AFC Challenge Cup record=

* 2006 - Quarter Finals
* 2008 - Did not qualify , 3rd in Qualifying Stage

South Asian Football Federation Cup record

* 1993 - Did not place
* 1995 - Third Place
* 1997 - Did not place
* 1999 - Runner up
* 2003 - Champions
* 2005 - Runner Up
* 2008 - Group Stage

National Coaches

*Abu Yusuf Mohammad (March 2008-June 2008)
*Shafiqul Islam Manik (August 2008 - Present)

Current squad

The following players were called up for the 2008 Merdeka Cup.

Famous players

Jahangir Hussain, Sheikh Mohammad Aslam, Mohammed Mahbub Mabs Rahman, Ferdous Hussain, Salam Murshedi, Kaiser Hamid, Md. Mohsin, Saeed Hassan Kanon,Badol Roy, Ashish Bhodro,Shahidur Rahman Shantu,Ennayet Hossain,Ashrafuddin Chunnu,Shamrat Hossain Emilly,Rumman Bin Wali Sabbir, Monem Munna,Rezaul Karim Rehan,Rizvi Karim Rumi, Golam Rabbani Helal,Alfaz Ahmed, Imtiyaz Sultan Jony, Imtiaz Ahmed Naqib, Monwar Hossain Nannu,Shamsul Alam Monju,Masud Rana, Jewel Rana, Rakib Hossain,Barun Bikash Dewan, Jasimuddin Jossi,Aminul Haque, Tajul Islam Manna, S.A Zaman Mukta,Khurshid Alam Babul,Abul Hossain,Ranjit Das,Hassan Al Mamun, Hafiz Uddin, Nowsher, Pratap Shankar Hazra,Ali Imam, Abdur Rahim,Anwar Uddin,Chinglamong Chowdhury Murruy, Kazi Salahuddin and [http://www.banglafootball.net/2007/03/mf-rahman-arzoo.html M. F. Rahman Arzoo] .

Coaching staff

:Safiuddin Ahmed Manik: :Bayejid Alam Zubair Nipu :Dr.Devashish Chowdhury

External links

* [http://www.bffonline.com Official site of the Bangladesh national football team]
* [http://www.banglafootball.net The #1 Bangladeshi football site on the net]