As Bangladesh takes on India in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifying round match on Tuesday, the Red and Greens will be pinning their hopes mostly on an English Premier League player, who is all set to make his debut in the national team.
The enthusiasm was palpable as Hamza Choudhury, who is currently playing for Sheffield United on loan from Leicester City, was accorded a grant welcome when he landed at Sylhet airport on March 17 after getting approval from FIFA to change his international allegiance.
Hamza Choudhury receives a hero's welcome in Bangladesh. pic.twitter.com/G6tZeqa4xr
— VERSUS (@vsrsus) March 18, 2025
Hamza made 57 appearances for Leicester City in the Premiere League and is arguably the highest profile player to ever represent Bangladesh.
So, will tomorrow’s match become a battle between Hamza and Sunil Chhetri? Bangladesh captain Jamal Bhuyan said a comparison is misplaced.
“Hamza is an English Premier League player,” he said at a press conference. “He is our Messi. Everyone in our team welcomed Hamza. Everyone has respect for him.”
Born to a Bangladeshi mother and a Grenadian father, Hamza always enjoyed a strong support base in Bangladesh in his EPL career. He had appeared for the England Under-21s which won the FA Cup in 2021, but never got a chance to make into the national squad.
According to reports, the Bangladesh Football Federation had approached Hamza a couple of years ago.
Hamza is now optimistic about a long career in the national team. He admits that he has a lot to learn from players like Jamal who have far more international experience.
“We can achieve anything if we put in the hard work and respect the process. There's no rush -- we have time, Inshallah. I'll be playing for Bangladesh for years,” he said.
Though India are currently ranked much higher in the FIFA chart—126th as against 185th on Bangladesh—the neighbours have always been a tricky rivals for the blue tigers.
The last match between the two sides in the 2021 SAFF Championships in Maldives had ended in a 1-1 draw.
India head coach Marquez claimed his side was not worried about Hamza though he admitted that his presence would boost the morale of his teammates.
"Hamza, obviously, is a good player who was playing in Premier League. It's good for not just Bangladesh but Asian football that such players are playing for national team. His teammates will be very motivated to play with him," Marquez said at a pre-match press conference.
