Hamza starts as captain as Bangladesh make three changes against SL

Detailed summary

Bangladesh made three changes to their starting XI for tonight's SAFF Championship Group A clash against Sri Lanka, with Hamza Choudhury set to wear the captain's armband for the…

Bangladesh made three changes to their starting XI for tonight's SAFF Championship Group A clash against Sri Lanka, with Hamza Choudhury set to wear the captain's armband for the first time and Farhaan Ali Wahid in line for his first appearance at home.

The match will kick off at 8:00pm at the National Stadium, where Bangladesh will look to secure top spot in the group after booking their semifinal place with a 1-0 victory over Bhutan in their opening match.

Hamza and Farhaan, who missed the Bhutan game, will return to the starting XI, replacing regular captain Jamal Bhuiyan and Faisal Ahmed Fahim. The third change will come in attack, with Mohammad Ibrahim coming in for Bishwanath Ghosh.

Ibrahim scored the winner against Bhutan while Bishwanath, who started as a striker in that game, picked up an injury during training and was subsequently ruled out.

Speaking to the media ahead of the Sri Lanka match, Hamza had said he was in no hurry to take the armband and would respect whatever decision the coach made. He is now set to lead Bangladesh for the first time in his 14th appearance for the national team.

Farhaan, meanwhile, will get his first opportunity to play in front of the home crowd after making his international debut away during the FIFA ASEAN Cup against Indonesia where he scored a goal.

Bangladesh starting XI: Mehedi Hasan Srabon, Zidane Yousuf, Tariq Kazi, Saad Uddin, Zayyan Ahmed, Hamza Choudhury (C), Farhaan Ali Wahid, Rakib Hossain, Shamit Shome, Quazem Shah Kirmanee, Mohammad Ibrahim.

Opening of the article, excerpted from The Daily Star. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.