Dooley wants four more overseas-based players for SAFF

Following Bangladesh’s disastrous campaign in the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup, head coach Thomas Dooley has already turned his attention to next month’s SAFF Championship, seeking four more overseas-based players for the regional tournament.

The players on Dooley’s radar are Louie Watson of Crawley Town, Trevor Islam of Stanford Cardinal, Ronan Sullivan of Saint Joseph’s Hawks and Zayn Hakeem of Wellingborough Town.

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Bangladesh have increasingly relied on overseas-based players in recent years, with Hamza Choudhury, Shamit Shome, Zayyan Ahmed, Fahamedul Islam and Tareq Raihan Kazi regularly featuring in the red and green jersey. Dooley also tested three more overseas-based players -- Zidane Yousuf, Shuki Itofusa and Farhaan Ali Wahid -- during the ASEAN Cup in Indonesia.

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“The coach wants to see four players. The BFF secretariat let me know about Dooley’s desire yesterday [Sunday] and I have already sent messages to those players for further communication,” BFF vice president Fahad Karim, who maintains contact with Bangladesh-origin players, told The Daily Star.

“Watson wants to have his last try for the Ireland team this season, while Trevor and Ronan are engaged with their university teams’ commitments,” he added.

Ronan is the only one among the four who already has a Bangladeshi passport. The BFF has completed the groundwork for Watson and Trevor to obtain their birth certificates, and they could receive their passports within a week if they agree to join the squad.

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Meanwhile, Dooley and his coaching staff returned from Indonesia on Friday night and immediately began preparations for the SAFF Championship. They watched the Bangladesh Football League match between Fortis FC and City Club at Bashundhara Kings Arena on Saturday as they continued their search for potential additions to the national team.

The 65-year-old coach is expected to have three more league rounds to assess local players before the professional league takes a break after the fifth round on October 28. The national team are scheduled to begin their SAFF preparations on the same day, although the camp could start earlier if the federation and clubs reach an agreement.

“The preparation for the SAFF Championship has to be much better, and we will discuss the start of the camp with the BFL clubs first,” said BFF president and national teams management committee chairman Tabith Awal.