Dhaka: As per the previous schedule, Jamie Day’s new two-year tenure as Bangladesh national team coach would have begun on August 18. But with the 2022 World Cup and 2023 Asian Cup Joint Qualifiers getting postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic, Day’s second stint with the Tigers is on hold for now.
According to a source, Day and his assistants were already scheduled to leave England in a day or two to join the national camp. Bangladesh were slated to play India on November 12 in Sylhet, but will now be held next year according to officials. “FIFA and the AFC will continue to work together to closely monitor the situation in the region and to identify new dates for the respective qualifying matches,” a joint statement read.
Although AFC did not say anything about the new dates, the qualifiers will not be played this year. According to the AFC website, a new date will be announced after reviewing the situation of COVID-19 in different countries. Day, who joined Bangladesh in 2018, has his contract renewed for another two years which will keep him until 2022.
Bangladesh are at the bottom in Group E in the Preliminary round of Joint Qualifiers behind Qatar, Oman, Afghanistan and India with just one point from four matches. Meanwhile, eight footballers have been tested COVID-19 positive in the second phase. They are Shahidul Yusuf, Bishwanath Ghosh, Rakibul, Anisur Rahman, Tutul Hossain, Rabiul Hasan, MS Bablu and Faisal Fahim.
