“You may want to ask me about Hamza,” Bhutan coach Atsushi Nakamura smiled at the pre-match press conference.
“We are very lucky to play against a player like Hamza.”
He hadn’t even been asked the question — but the name was already everywhere.
Inside the ground, as dusk approached and the sky briefly blushed red after a gentle drizzle, it didn’t feel like the end of a day — it felt like the beginning of something.
After nearly five years of silence, the National Stadium — once the beating heart of Bangladesh football — is finally ready to roar again. And this return isn't just about the resumption of international matches.
It’s about a new wave of hope, and at the centre of it all stands Hamza Choudhury.
The Leicester City midfielder, who arrived on Monday, is all set to feature in his first home match for the red and green.. But the buzz is unprecedented.
On Tuesday afternoon, fans began to gather at the gates before the team’s scheduled training session, hoping for a glimpse of the man in dreadlocks. So thick was the crowd that even working journalists found themselves locked out, waiting for the gates to open.
Inside the ground, as dusk approached and the sky briefly blushed red after a gentle drizzle, it didn’t feel like the end of a day — it felt like the beginning of something.
Floodlights bathed the familiar turf.
Cameras pivoted sharply toward the touchline the moment Hamza stepped out. Faces lit up.
A forgotten pitch had come alive again.
“This is extremely exciting,” said Bangladesh head coach Javier Cabrera in the pre-match press conference.
“The support, the expectations… It's going to help the team push harder. This is my first match here at the National Stadium. We want to give something back to the people tomorrow,” the coach added.
Hamza’s availability for Wednesday's friendly has been confirmed, and Cabrera admitted the match against Bhutan will be a testing ground.
“Some players will have their chances tomorrow. It’s part of our preparation for Singapore on June 10. Expect a mixed approach.”
The Singapore match, the much-hyped Bangladesh’s Asian Cup qualifying stage, remains the priority. But that hasn’t diluted the meaning of Wednesday's return.
For some, it’s an audition. For others, a celebration.
Jamal Bhuyan, the captain, who once stood alone as the only player of foreign descent in the national team, now has five more alongside him.
“When even Tariq joined, I thought maybe that was it,” Jamal said.
“But now look — the numbers are growing. That’s good for the team. Just look at France. Most of their players came from outside, and they became champions. We’re seeing something similar here.”
Even Bhutan, Bangladesh’s opponent for the evening, showed no signs of underestimating their hosts.
“Bangladesh is the best team in South Asia now,” said captain Chencho Gyeltshen.
“Hamza is a very good player and is playing in a top league,” the Bhutan captain acknowledged.
Coach Nakamura echoed that sentiment but warned of the challenges ahead.
“We played them at home last year. Now we’re in Bangladesh, and the heat, the humidity — these are difficult conditions. But we will try to win.”
While Cabrera acknowledged the strength Bangladesh had shown at Bashundhara Kings Arena during the past couple of years, he believes this crowd — possibly 20,000-25,000 strong — at the National Stadium can make the difference.
As the first whistle nears, there’s more at stake than just a result.
There’s an old ground rediscovering its game, a crowd reclaiming its voice, and a team trying to embrace a new identity.
The real test begins now.
0 Comments