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The 2011 SAFF Championship kicks off in style with a Group B encounter pitting the top ranked team Bangladesh of the group against Pakistan.
The two teams had last met over two legs in the first round of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifier where Bangladesh had humbled Pakistan at Dhaka netting 3 goals past them while conceding none, and had played out a comfortable draw at the return leg, eliminating Pakistan in the process.
Bangladesh might as well be favourites for the match with their frontman Ameli, a constant threat having already scored against Pakistan in the WCQ. Moreover, they will be striving to do their much higher ranking justice.
Pakistan, on the other hand, with their physical style of play and new tactics employed by new coach Milosavljevic, they certainly have a few tricks hidden up their sleeve. Moreover, with the coach calling on foreign based players, notably Adnan Ahmed and Atif Bashir from England and Wales, they certainly have a chance to pull off an early upset.
Both teams have seen a change of coaches, with Bangladesh replacing the short lasting Jovanoski with Nikola Ilievski and Pakistan getting Zaviša Milosavljević on board to replace Tariq Lutfi.
Available Squad For Bangladesh
Goalkeeper: Mamun Khan, Biplob Bhattyacharjee, Md. Shahidul Alam Sohel.
Defence: Nasirul Islam Nasir, Tapu Barman , Md. Sujan, Mamun Mia, Ariful Islam Arif, Rezaul Karim,
Midfield: Pranotosh Kumar Das, Abdul Baten Mazumdar Komol, Mezbaul Haque Manik, Emon Ahmed Babu, Shahedur Alam Shahed, Mamunul Islam Mamun, Shakil Ahmed, Atiqur Rahman Mishu, Alamgir Kabir Rana
Strikers- Towhidul Alam Towhid, Md. Shah Alamgir Anik, Zahid Hasan Emily, Md. Abdul Malek, Wahed Ahmed, Mithun Chowdhury.
Available Squad for Pakistan
Goalkeepers: Jaffar Khan (Captain), Muzamil Hussain, Saquib Hanif
Defenders: Samar Ishaq (Vice Captain), Kamran Khan, Muhammad Rizwan Asif, Muhammad Ahmed, Naveen Ahmed, Manzoor Ahmed, Alamgir Khan
Midfielders: Adnan Farooq Ahmed (Vice Captain), Faisal Iqbal , Ansar Abbas, Saddam Hussain, Kaleem Ullah, Muhammad Adil, Muhammad Ikram, Atif Bashir Qureshi ,
Forwards: Jadeed Khan Pathan ,Shakir Lashari, Husnain Abbas, Junaid Qadir
