Anisur Rahman

A World Cup is often a child’s very first introduction to the concept of a setback, wrapped in the safe environment of sport.

Growing up in the mid-1980s, football in Bangladesh was never merely a sport. It was emotion, identity, and everyday life stitched into dusty neighbourhood fields and crowded tea stalls.

Being an avid Brazil fan, Bangladesh national team goalkeeper Anisur Rahman Zico has been enjoying every match of the Selecao, along with the other key FIFA World Cup fixtures. Zico recently spoke to The Daily Star's Anisur Rahman about Brazil's progress at the World Cup, the evolving role of goalkeepers, and his own professional future. Below are excerpts:

Players from both sides were allowed to watch selected World Cup matches on mobile phones, with the global tournament serving as inspiration.

Everything became a reason to celebrate — a stray dog crossing the screen, broadcast buffering, even coach Lionel Scaloni shouting instructions.

“Brazil and Argentina fans in Bangladesh and around the world often treat a draw like a defeat. They simply can’t accept it,” said Masud Parvez Kaiser, former Bangladesh national football team coach and an avid Brazil supporter.

Former national forward-turned-coach Alfaz Ahmed believes Brazil’s opening match serves as the spark for that nationwide excitement, even though this Selecao side is less familiar to supporters than the squads of recent editions.

A visit to the 16th-century Basilica of Bom Jesus was among the highlights of the trip.

Bangladesh may have missed out on a third successive SAFF Women's Championship title after a 3-1 defeat to India in the final at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Margao on Friday night, but coach Peter Butler insisted the scoreline failed to reflect the true nature of the contest.

Peter Butler has termed Ritu Porna Chakma as one of the best wingers in South Asia, even Asia, but the Bangladesh forward is yet to truly showcase her quality in the ongoing SAFF Women's Championship.

Speaking to The Daily Star, Afeida reflects on her return to the side, the captaincy change, the team’s dip in form, coping with personal tragedy in the camp, and the challenge of facing India in Saturday’s final.

Defending champions Bangladesh made a winning start to their SAFF Women’s Championship campaign, beating Maldives 4-2 in their opening match of the tournament at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa, India, today.

The country’s dominant force in recent years, Kings have been struggling to clear wages for both local and foreign players since last season

How can Bangladesh football progress? The answer to this, or similar queries, is almost always delivered by experts and even Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) authorities in a more or less identical manner -- stressing the need to improve the grassroots.

Orpita Pal is leading a youthful Bangladesh women's hockey team in their debut appearance at international stage.

A fifth-place finish among nine teams in the recently concluded Asian Games Qualifiers underlined a worrying slide.

Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) continues to grapple with a recurring dilemma: balancing national team preparations with the smooth operation of domestic competitions -- two elements crucial to each other’s growth.

Weightlifter Mabia Akter Simanta has been handed a two-year suspension from both international and domestic competitions after the two-time South Asian Games gold medalist tested positive for banned substances in a doping test.

The 18-year-old US-born striker consistently impressed throughout the tournament, providing evidence of big-game temperament and technical confidence required for international football.

The National Teams Committee (NTC) of the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) yesterday initiated the search for a new head coach following a meeting, as Spanish coach Javier Cabrera’s contract is set to expire on April 30.