Dhaka: The Maldives national football team arrived here this morning to play two FIFA friendly matches against host Bangladesh. After their arrival, the team held their first training session at the APBN ground in the capital, as informed by Bangladesh Football Federation's media executive officer Khalid Mahmud to BSS. According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the two matches will be held on November 13 and 16 at the Bashundhara Kings Arena in Dhaka. These matches, taking place during the FIFA window, offer both teams an opportunity to improve their rankings. Meanwhile, the Bangladesh national team, known as the men in red and green, began their training camp under head coach Javier Cabrera on November 1. The Bangladeshi players joined the camp in two phases, with the first group arriving on November 1 and the Bashundhara Kings players, who were participating in the AFC Challenge League 2024-25 in Bhutan, joining on November 5. Bangladesh last faced the Maldives in October last year during the first round o f the World Cup 2026 qualifiers, drawing the away match 1-1 in Male, and securing their advancement to the second round with a 2-1 victory at home. Javier Cabrera's squad aims to conclude the year with victories in these upcoming matches. The Maldives had been a formidable opponent for Bangladesh in recent years, but the Bangladeshi team has overcome this challenge, having defeated the Maldives in the SAFF Championship and World Cup qualifiers. The Bangladesh football team is fully prepared to face the Maldives in these two important home matches.
