How Bangladesh's football is finally starting to head in the right direction

There is a saying that change is the only constant. Unfortunately, positive change was been missing in Bangladesh football for a long time. 

But now, Bangladesh's football team is starting to give fans optimism about a better future and there are a few factors attached to that.

1. The first factor is the coach, Javier Cabrera as he has made the players play a high-pressing system to tackle tougher opponents. A few years ago, Bangladesh only tried to play with a long-ball strategy. Javier Cabrera's players now try to play more possession-based football. In the last match against Lebanon, are 107th in the Fifa rankings, Bangladesh had 43 percent ball possession, and against the Maldives, they had almost 50 percent ball possession. In 2023, Bangladesh have played 13 matches, winning five, losing four, and drawing four. It is the second-highest win record for Bangladesh in a single year. This year, Bangladesh also played in the semifinals of the SAFF championships after 14 years. 

2. The rise of Bashundhara Kings has played a part here too. Along with investing in a team that is now the best in the country, they have built a top-notch stadium that has been used to host the national team's matches while the Bangabandhu stadium is being renovated. The Kings Arena has proven to be a lucky venue for the national team as they have never lost a match here so far. Seeing this success Abahani have also started to build their sports complex in Dhanmondi which will be the home venue of their football team. 

3. The inclusion of Bangladeshi-origin players in the national team from foreign countries is also having a positive impact on the team. Bangladesh previously didn't have an open mindset towards including overseas players with a national passport but that is now changing. We are seeing how Tariq Kazi, who was raised in Finland, played in defense so well in the qualifier matches. Also, the current captain Jamal Bhuyan has been proving himself for years. 

4. Recently, the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) opened an academy, named Elite Academy, and this is helping train players properly to up their skill levels. One feels the academy will be a supplier of skilled footballers for Bangladesh in years to come. 

5. Top-level foreign football players are playing club football here. For example, Robson Robinho has experience playing in the Brazilian club Fluminense. Souleymane Diabate is another one and he scored four goals in the final of the last edition of the Federation Cup. Higor Leite has experience playing in the Brazil 2nd tier. National players sharing the field with these types of players gives them more exposure and helps them do better.

Still, a lot can be done to move our football forward. 

We often hear that BFF needs more money and if the team continues to perform well, more sponsors should be attracted. 

Fans talk about high-class Bangladesh-origin players playing around the world, like Hamza Choudhury, who is playing at Leicester City, and Shamit Shome, who has experience playing in Major League Soccer. 

There is a small chance that some of these players may play for the national team down the line.

Yes, our football is changing for the better, and more could be done to keep the momentum going. 

This could be only the beginning of something positive for our football.