As Bangladesh gear up for their crucial Asian Cup Qualifiers fixture against India, captain Jamal Bhuiyan likened the excitement surrounding Hamza Choudhury’s homecoming to that of a global superstar.

But ahead of Thursday's first-leg clash in Croatia, Mbappe said he was "delighted to be back with the group".

Hamza Choudhury, the biggest name in Bangladesh football, spent a busy day in Dhaka on Wednesday

India faced off against Maldives today in Shillong in a friendly match ahead of their upcoming Asian Cup Qualifiers clash against Bangladesh and won the tie by a convincing 3-0 margin with the returning Sunil Chhetri also getting into the score sheet.

The public outcry over the departure of Italy-based Bangladeshi footballer Fahamedul Islam from the national team carried over to the second day with the sports adviser Asif Mahmud and Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) president Tabith Awal having to weigh in on the issue today.

Italy will be without striker Mateo Retegui for both legs of their UEFA Nations League quarter-final against Germany because of a thigh injury, Italy's football association (FIGC) said on Wednesday.

Son Heung-min dismissed concerns about his form and fitness on Wednesday as he looks to forget his Tottenham woes by firing South Korea to the World Cup.

Patrick Kluivert has promised some surprises from his Indonesia team when they take on Australia in Thursday's World Cup qualifier, despite only having had a couple of training sessions with his squad since taking over as coach in January.

Hamza Choudhury has announced that he will play for "a number of years for Bangladesh", expressing his confidence on the team and the head coach, during his first official press conference at a hotel in the capital on Wednesday.

Bangladesh captain Jamal Bhuiyan believes midfielder Hamza Choudhury will get goosebumps when he listens to the national anthem being played prior to his debut match against India in Shillong on March 25.

Heartbreaking near-misses will fire "hurting" New Zealand to their first football World Cup since 2010, their coach Darren Bazeley said on Wednesday, with the country two wins from the finals.

Even as Hamza Choudhury remained confined within his ancestral home in Habiganj for most of yesterday before joining the national team camp in Dhaka in the night, the Sheffield United midfielder remained at the heart of the plans of the team and the expectations of the football aficionados of the country.

The Italian Super Cup, which is played between the winners and the runners-up of the previous season's Serie A and Coppa Italia, was hosted in Saudi Arabia in January where AC Milan defeated Inter Milan 3-2 to win the trophy for the eighth time.

Dominguez's comments sparked a backlash and the Brazilian government strongly condemned them, criticising CONMEBOL for its failure to implement effective anti-racism measures.

Officer Lucas Farias testified in the trial of seven health professionals accused of homicide for their alleged role in what prosecutors have described as the "horror theater" of Maradona's final days.

A 1994 World Cup winner Romario, a senator in the country's upper house, is the man behind a parliamentary commission report into betting patterns in football.

Cabrera, who had a meeting with Hamza in Dhaka tonight, revealed that the entire squad was eager to welcome him and start preparing for the crucial clash against India.

The 21-year-old has made 37 appearances in all competitions this season for Hansi Flick's side.

Hamza Chowdhury distributed Eid gifts to the underprivileged in his native village of Snanaghat in Habiganj today.

The 37-year-old football legend took to Instagram to share his frustration and support for his teammates.