Hamza Chowdhury, who plays in the English

Premier League, is the biggest star of Bangladesh football now. With him are Fahamedul Islam, an expatriate from Italy, and Shamit Som, an expatriate from Canada. The last one will arrive this morning. He is not playing in the Bhutan match. The friendly match against Bhutan will start at 7 pm at the National Stadium.

Bangladesh went into exile from international football for 16 months after losing to Bhutan in 2016. The last time they won a two-match series against Bhutan, Bangladesh lost the next one. Last year in September, they won the first match 1-0. They lost the next match by the same margin. So far, Bangladesh has faced Bhutan 16 times. The red-greens have won 12 of them, lost two and drawn two. Bangladesh will play a warm-up match against Bhutan today before taking on Singapore on June 10 in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers. The picture has changed with Hamza's arrival. At the pre-match press conference at the BFF building on Tuesday, Bhutan's Japanese coach Asushi Nakamura and captain Chencho Gyeltshen spoke about Hamza.

Bangladesh is now a strong team

with the trinity of Hamza Chowdhury, Fahamedul Islam and Shamit Som-Probasi. Therefore, captain Jamal Bhuiyan hinted that they will fight Bhutan with their eyes wide open. He said, 'Our most important match is against Singapore on June 10. But the match against Bhutan is also important. Of course, we will give our best.'

Hamza's arrival has brought a new wave to the country's football. The presence of a record number of media personnel at the press conference is proof of that. Many sat on the ground without finding a place. Jamal recorded the scene on his mobile phone. Later, in response to a question, the Bangladesh captain said, 'This is the first time in my entire career that I have seen so many journalists present. This is the first time I have seen so many journalists here. But I feel sad to see you sitting down.' Jamal Bhuiyan, a Danish expatriate who arrived in Bangladesh football in 2013, now has six expatriates in his team. How does it feel? Jamal's answer, 'I am actually very happy. At that time, I thought no one else would join. Now I see the number is increasing. I think it will be good for the country. Of course, those who are local will play better. For example, most of the footballers in the world's best French team are expatriates. They have become World Cup champions.' Coach Javier Cabrera said, 'We practiced for four sessions. Out of these, we got Hamza for two sessions. I think you will see Hamza for some time tomorrow (today).'

Bhutan coach Asushi Nakamura said,

"Bangladesh has changed with just Hamza. Hamza, who plays in the English Premier League, is a great footballer." Captain Chencho, echoing the coach's voice, commented, "Hamza is a great footballer. He can turn the tide of a match."