A wave of revival has swept through Bangladeshi football. While the country’s sports arena still carries the festive air of the Eid holidays, several advisors from the interim government took part in a friendly football match at the National Stadium during this break. Their opponents were officials from various foreign embassies based in Bangladesh. In the end, Team Advisors defeated Team Diplomats 1–0.
Playing for Team Advisors were Sports Advisor Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan and Legal Advisor Asif Nazrul. The team also included the president of the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF), Tabith Awal. Representing the foreign diplomats were Spanish Ambassador Gabriel Sistiaga, along with officials from the embassies of England, the United States, Norway, the Netherlands, and Denmark.
The match, played in two 20-minute halves, saw Team Advisors take the lead in the 22nd minute, which turned out to be the only goal of the match — and the decider.
Explaining the background of the match, Youth and Sports Advisor Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan said, “Many ambassadors were present during the Singapore match. That’s when the idea of such a game came up. Later, Asif Sir (Legal Advisor) took the initiative, which led to this friendly match being organized.”
Commenting on the recent resurgence of football in the country, Legal Advisor Asif Nazrul said, “I’m a big admirer of Salahuddin Bhai. What he couldn’t achieve in 8–10 years, our Asif (Sports Advisor) and Tabith (BFF President) have made happen. I watched the match on June 10 — Bangladesh played really well. They performed both off the ball and in possession. Nothing seemed aimless.”
“Football is our lifeline. To establish the dominance of other nations, cricket was prioritized while football was nearly killed. Personally, I’m a passionate football lover. Football is at the heart of Bangladesh.
