Bangladesh Football losing its way has reached such a rock bottom stage that it cannot even compete strongly at SAARC level. The situation is so miserable that even Nepal, Maldives are proving difficult opposition for Bangladesh.

 This writer has experienced Bangladesh competing neck to neck with Thailand, Malaysia and even Korea in 1970s and 1980s. Several leading icon footballers of the past including superstar Salahuddin are in the helm of affairs of Bangladesh Football.

But football of Bangladesh is sinking progressively. It was shocking witnessing ordinary foreign teams knocking out teams from Bangladesh teams in our own Bangabandhu Gold Cup tournament.

Over the last few days of Dhaka stay of this writer had opportunity of listening TV talk shows on depleting football standard of Bangladesh football. There is a feeling of despair and frustrations all around.

Star footballers of the past have heart bleeding. They right identify issues and challenges. It is not that their playing comrades in BFF do not know and understand the challenges.

Somehow or other they are either overlooking those or are reluctant to confront those as these may risk their position in Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF). If the business as usual continues very soon football in Bangladesh will have to embrace further embarrassment.

BFF Needs Urgent Reorganization:

Salahuddin led BFF has spent eight years without any mentionable success. Football stars of the past Salam Murshedi and Badal Roy could not inspire anything. The highly ambitious target of qualifying for 2022 FIFA World Cup Finals at Qatar appears a wide dream now.

Foreign coaches are coming and going in disgrace. Players and coaches are being blamed but failed BFF shamelessly stays in position. BFF president admits failures and seeks apology. After getting shamelessly knocked out from SAF championship Bangladesh was expected bouncing back in Bangabandhu Gold Cup. There were no difficult teams.

Yet Bangladesh failed. We hope BFF will own failure and would resign opening opportunities for others to try and improve the situation. Eight years is too long a time to plan reorganization process and demonstrate some success, which Salahuddin and co has miserably failed.

Football Needs Organized Domestic Infrastructure:
Bangladesh virtually does not have any domestic infrastructure. Whether at school level or age group level absence of credible infrastructure over the last several years could not create a dependable pipeline of talented new footballers.

Skill level is very poor and there exists no planning, no roadmap for developing football at grass root. Major league and tournaments, which ever still arranged are dominated by ordinary quality foreign players forcing even national players warming the side bench.

There is no football at district level though districts are represented in BFF by politically biased persons having no background as footballer or football organizers. In the present very competitive world, football scenario Bangladesh cannot expect success without very vibrant domestic football structures.

It is shocking that of the 64 districts of Bangladesh only few districts regularly organize district football league. There is haphazard organization of school football and age group football contributing much less than expected.

Major clubs hire ordinary foreign or remaining in the rat race of championship in top leagues and tournaments. Bangladesh has produced no international quality strikers over the past several years.

Consequently, when they appear in regional completion they can hardly score goals and lose matches after matches.

Bangladesh can take a lesson how Belgium created revolution in football adopting a long-term plan of developing football nationwide. They preferred staying out of regional and international tournaments for a while, revamped the domestic infrastructure, stressed upon school football, age group football and domestic tournaments. We have seen how competitive they were in the last FIFA world cup.

The writer is eyewitness of gradual development of Soccer in Australia. Soccer in Australians is not their first preference game. Australian rules football (Footy ), Rugby, Cricket rank higher than Soccer. Yet their supreme physical fitness and sporting characteristic is fast turning Australia as a formidable force in world soccer.

In 19070s and 1980s, Bangladesh football could give tough fight to Australia in soccer. But not Australia is world class and Bangladesh is not even a force to reckon with in South Asia.

BFF must make all district associations organize district league giving them financial and organizational supports. Football outside Dhaka in Chittagong, Khulna, Jessore, Sylhet, Rajshahi, and Barisal is still very popular. We are sure regular arrangement of district football league will expose quality new talents and will in turn benefit Bangladesh football.

November December and January is usually the lighter period in school when after annual exams children have free time. National school football championship may be organized in proper football format. Boys and girls under 16 are ideal for talent hunting from school football. Unless we have very organized school football and age group competitive football we cannot regain our glory or achieve any sustainability in our football.

No Dearth of Facility:
National footballers cannot blame that there are dearth of facilities. Bangabandhu stadium and few other stadiums are exclusively available for football. National footballers and youth footballers are not being poorly paid .But the commitment and will to win are missing.

Perhaps team think tank is failing to encourage the pride of representing the nation. Where is the future Emily or Mamunul? Why national players are not putting under pressure for losing their positions? If district football can be regenerated there won’t be lack of playing surfaces.

It is only through regenerating competitive soccer in grassroots quality new players will emerge. It is true that in major cities like Dhaka and Chittagong many play grounds have been annexed by land grabbers. But these can be overcome through recovering municipal parks and other grounds evicting the illegal occupants. In expanded city areas there must be enough playing facilities.

Talent Hunting:
Top business houses can launch nationwide talent hunt for Strikers, Goal Keepers and defenders. National football stars of the past can set up a pool of experts for this talent hunt. About 50 players of early teens can be picked up and placed under intensive coaching scheme.

In three to four years Bangladesh can have a pool of 100 players of quality. Teams playing in Dhaka and other city leagues must recruit 3 and play two under 19 players in every match.

Teams like Abahoni, Mohammedan, Shiekh Jamal, Shiekh Russel, Mukhijodhha may set up scout teams for talent hunt. We know these need money .But clubs are spending money on players part of which can be dedicated for what has been suggested.

What about Coaches and Coaching?
Bangladesh in recent past has experienced international coaches coming and leaving in disgrace. Their engagement process, payment and departure were not transparent. We are not sure what targets were set for them? How much freedom they had? Whether they were listed to?

 Coaches can only operate if they are given freedom of working within his chartered territory and given required support and assistance. We are not sure whether qualified local coaches are also properly utilized. Bangladesh must get a reputed international coach for a given term of 3-5 years and given all required support and assistance.

He must be asked to produce a road map and his performance monitoring KPI must be discussed and agreed. When a team fails achieving target players and coach are made scape goats. But others in the team think tank escapes.

Restricting Foreign Players:
Bangladesh must restrict foreign players playing in local league and tournaments. They must be internationals or at least junior internationals. The quota should be 5 players and no more than 3 should appear in any match.
I would also suggested withdrawal of pool system and allowing players chose their teams independently. Why should players be not allowed getting their deserved value in open market economy. At the same time like true professionals all earnings must be transparent and taxed.

Walk The Talk:
There has been and there have been lots of talks and now time has come to talk with walk to recovery past glory of Bangladesh football. It requires all stakeholders of Bangladesh football getting engaged, combining their efforts instead of remaining divided and sub divided into coteries.

BDST:  0957 HRS, JAN 23, 2016
RS