BD teams learn their opponents

Bangladesh were placed in a comparatively easy group in the AFC U-19 Championship Qualifiers but they were pitted against tough opponents in AFC U-16 Championship Qualifiers, with the draw for both the qualifiers taking place at the AFC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

Bangladesh under-19 team were drawn in Group B along with Uzbekistan, hosts Tajikistan, Sri Lanka and Maldives. Ten group champions and five best runners-up teams will advance to the 16-team final round. The qualifiers will take place from October 31 to November 8.

In the AFC U-16 Championship Qualifiers, Bangladesh were placed in Group E along with the United Arab Emirates, Yemen and hosts Qatar. Ten group winners and five best runners-up teams will qualify for the 16-team finals for this championship too. The qualifiers will take place from September 16 to 24.

The Bangladesh Football Federation, meanwhile, picked a preliminary squad of the under-15 team through a talent hunt programme across the country conducted by the National Sports Council. However, the game's governing body is yet to start a long-term training camp for that team, which is supposed to represent Bangladesh in the AFC U-16 Championship Qualifiers. The squad for the AFC U-19 Championship Qualifiers, however, is supposed to be picked through the final round of U-18 National Football Championship which is scheduled to get underway tomorrow in Dhaka.