Eleta gets call up in Bangladesh's preliminary squad for Saff Championship

Eleta Kingsley, the Nigeria-born Bangladeshi footballer, got called up in the Bangladesh side as national team coach Oscar Bruzon announced a 26-man squad for the forthcoming Saff Championship.

The 31-year old Eleta, who got his Bangladeshi passport earlier this year through naturalization process, received his first call up in the Bangladesh team.

Eleta is currently playing for Bashundhara Kings, the champions of the Bangladesh Premier League, and Spaniard Bruzon, who got the Bangladesh job on an interim basis, is also the coach of the Kings.

Also Read: Eleta Kingsley: The saga of confidence, harmony and love of a Bangladeshi family man

Eleta however, is yet to receive clearance from Asian Football Confederation to play for Bangladesh.

Bruzon has selected 10 players, most from a club, from Kings, while five players got called from Abahani Limited.

The final 23-man squad will be finalized before the tournament begins on October 1 in Maldives.

Bangladesh will begin their Saff mission on the opening day of the tournament against Sri Lanka.

They will lock horns with mighty India on October 4 before playing hosts and defending champions Maldives on October 7.

Bruzon’s charges will play their last group match against Nepal on October 13. 

BFF has recently given its head coach Jamie Day a two-month leave and handed over the reigns to Kings head coach Bruzon for the regional tournament.

Squad

Anisur Rahman Zico, Bishwanath Ghosh, Topu Barman, Kazi Tariq Rahman, Biplu Ahmed, Mahbubur Rahman Sufil, Mohammad Ibrahim, Matin Miah, Atiqur Rahman Fahad, Jewel Rana, Tutul Hossain Badshah, Riyadul Hasan Rafi, Rahmat Miah, Yasin Arafat, Jamal Bhuiyan, Shahidul Alam Sohel, Sohel Rana, Saad Uddin, Rezaul Karim, Rakib Hossain, Mehedi Hasan, Atikuzzaman, Eleta Kingsley, Manik Hossain Mollah, Ashraful Islam Rana and Sumon Reza