BANGLADESH NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM
WORLD RANKING: 184
GOVERNING BODY:-
Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF)
HEAD COACH:-
Jamie Day
CAPTAIN:-
Jamal Bhuyan
MOST CAPPED PLAYER:-
Zahid Hasan Ameli (64 caps)
TOP GOALSCORER:-
Ashraf Uddin Ahmed Chunnu (17 goals)
NICKNAME:-
Bengal Tigers
Red and Green
The Bangladesh national football team is the nationally recognised football team of Bangladesh and is controlled by the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF).
It is a member of the Asian Football Confederation and became a member of FIFA in 1974. The Bangladesh Football Federation was first founded in 1972.
Bangladesh was elected as a member of the AFC Executive Committee in 1982–1986 and 1998–2002. The current Executive Committee was elected democratically, under an AFC approved constitution and direct supervision of FIFA & AFC, in April 2008.
Bangladesh’s national team debuted in 1973 and has yet to qualify for the World Cup finals. They were dismissed in the first round of their only Asian Cup appearance to date in 1980.
The nation’s best results came at South Asian level where it won the SAFF Championship in 2003, under the coaching of György Kottán and were gold medalists in South Asian Games once as a national team.
Bangladesh was one of southern Asia’s leading teams in the 2000s. However, as is the case elsewhere on the subcontinent, top-level football in Bangladesh is played somewhere in the shadow of the country’s national cricket team.
This is mostly due to inadequate budget allocation and lack of technical skills adaptation. To date, football remains a popular sport in Bangladesh but cricket remains the most popular sport in the nation.
Football in Bangladesh
Football is the second-most popular sport in Bangladesh, after cricket, and is governed by the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF).
An interest in cricket resulting from the nation’s success in Test cricket and participation in the Cricket World Cup overshadowed the past fame in the nation’s football legacy.
However, this did not affect football’s popularity. More and more football tournaments are being organised in and outside Dhaka than of any other sports and football fever grips the nation during every FIFA World Cup.
Federation officials and experts are still hopeful about the development of football in the country within the next ten years despite huge financial obstacles, inadequate technical adaptation and lack of professionalism.
Bangladesh football league system
Level 1 – Bangladesh Premier League
The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) is the top tier of the Bangladeshi association football league pyramid.
It is run directly by the Professional Football League Committee of the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF).
The Dhaka Derby is one of the most popular matches in the league. The league is the successor of the National Football Championship, which existed from 2000 to 2006.
Level 2 – Bangladesh Championship League
Bangladesh Championship League (BCL) is the second-tier association football league of Bangladesh run by the Bangladesh Football Federation and the league was founded in 2012.
It is also known as TVS Championship League for sponsorship reasons since 2018-2019.
Level 3 – Senior Division Football League
Dhaka League currently known as Dhaka Senior Division League is the third tier of football in Bangladesh played by clubs in Dhaka.
It was established in 1948 by the Bangladesh Football Federation. Until 2006, it was the top-tier league of the country.
The winner of the league is promoted to the Bangladesh Championship League.
Level 4 – Dhaka Second Division Football League
Dhaka Second Division Football League is the fourth-tier football league in Bangladesh.
The league was founded in 2015 by the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF). Twelve teams participate each season.
Level 5 – Dhaka Third Division Football League
Dhaka Third Division Football League is the fifth tier football league in Bangladesh, which was established in 2003 by the Bangladesh Football Federation.
A total of eighteen teams compete in the league.
Level 6 – Pioneer Football League
Pioneer Football League Bangladesh is the only youth clubs football league in Bangladesh run by the Bangladesh Football Federation.
The competition is organized for the country’s grassroots football clubs.
Bangladesh Domestic Cups
Federation Cup
Federation Cup, also known as Bangladesh Federation Cup, is Bangladesh’s premier cup competition in men’s football.
The competition began in 1980 and is run by the Bangladesh Football Federation which is responsible for all types of competitive matches in the country.
The teams from the country’s premier league and other clubs compete in the tournament while occasionally Indian sides were invited in the past.
Most of the matches are played in the country’s main football venue Bangabandhu National Stadium. The winner of the tournament earns the slot of playing the qualifying round of the AFC Cup.
Independence Cup
Independence Cup is a cup competition in men’s football in Bangladesh.
The competition started in 1972 and is run by the Bangladesh Football Federation, which is responsible for all types of competitive matches in the country.
The teams from the country’s premier league and other clubs compete in the tournament. Most of the matches are played in the country’s main football venue Bangabandhu National Stadium.