No back pass to goalkeeper, Kings management instructs players

Frustrated by fumbles made by young goalkeeper Mehedi Hasan Srabon, Bashundhara Kings team management have instructed their players not to give back passes to the goalkeeper during matches, confirmed a source within the club.

Srabon has been the King's custodian in domestic and international engagements in the absence of their first choice goalkeeper Anisur Rahman Zico, who is serving a suspension on disciplinary grounds.

But the Kings management's faith in the young goalkeeper has shaken after he made some grievous errors in recent matches.

On Tuesday, during the Kings' Independence Cup quarterfinal fixture against Bangladesh Army Football team, the 18-year-old goalkeeper couldn't control a back pass from his teammate, allowing the opponents to level the margin.

Brazilian forward Dorielton Gomes then rescued the Kings with a winning strike and propelled them to the semifinals of the season's curtain raiser tournament.

The inexperienced goalkeeper had earlier made another costly mistake during the team's AFC Cup home fixture against Maziya S&RC on November 27.

In that match, after receiving the ball from a teammate, the keeper from Cumilla passed it straight to an opponent forward, thus letting the visiting club from Maldives take the lead against the run of play.

Kings averted disaster and won that game with late strikes from Boburbek Yuldashev and Miguel Ferreira.

Worried about their inexperienced goalkeeper ahead of the crucial AFC Cup fixture against Odisha FC, the Kings management have now instructed their players not to pass the ball to Srabon and also told the keeper to clear the ball, instead of trying to pass it to a teammate.

Bashundhara Kings are on the verge of making history, as they are just one point away from qualifying for the knockout stage of the AFC Cup as the second Bangladeshi club after Abahani.

Their Indian opponents have been in good goal-scoring form as well, as they have won their last three matches scoring 14 goals.

Kings, however, got some good news as their Brazilian captain Robson Da Silva returned to the training on Monday after missing out the tie against Maziya S&RC and two Independence Cup matches following a back-muscle injury he sustained against Mohun Bagan Super Giant.

Midfielder Charles Didier has also recovered from his injury and is likely to come into the starting eleven against Odisha FC.

Kings will fly to Bhubaneshwar, India on Saturday morning before taking on the home side on December 11 at the Kalinga Stadium.

A draw will be sufficient for the Kings to qualify for the knockout stage of the second-tier club competition in Asia.