World Cup and Bangladesh
Tuesday, 8 June 2010
Iftu Ahmed
The world's eyes are turning to South Africa where the FIFA (Federation International Football Association) World Cup soccer is going to kick off from June 11 to July 11, 2010. Thirty-two nations are participating being divided into eight groups consisting four teams in each group. Soccer fans are predicting about the next World Cup champ. Brazil has five history of being five times World Cup champs, while Italy, Germany and Argentina have won the World Cup four, three and two times respectively. Both England and France won the World Cup only once.
To play the World Cup soccer is still a dream for Bangladesh. Who knows someday Bangladesh may play in the World Cup soccer. Once we did not know that we will play in the Test Match and World Cup cricket. Whatever the results in cricket, we are able to do so and more importantly, we have a record to defeat formidable cricket nations like Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka.
In 1937, the famous Islington Corinthians (1932-1940), a football team of England, toured the then East Bengal now Bangladesh. It played an exhibition match against Dhaka XI and was defeated 0-1. Pakhi Sen of Mymensingh scored that historic goal. It was a memorable event that gave a boost football in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh is a member of Asian Football Federation (AFC) which is one of the six regional confederations of FIFA, the global governing body of football based in Zurich, Switzerland. The AFC is consisted of 47 members and split into four regions, viz., the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF), the East Asian Football Federation (EAFF), the West Asian Football Federation (WAFF) and the Central and South Asian Football Federation (CSAFF).
The AFF is consisted of 12 members where Australia was included in 2006 and Israel was excluded while the EAFF, the WAFF and the CSFF were consisted of 10, 13 and 12 members respectively.
The AFC was allocated with four assuring berths for World Cup. As a result, Australia from AFF, and Japan, North Korea and South Korea from EAFF were qualified for World Cup from Asia. The AFC classified its members into three categories which are Developed Association with 15 members, Developing Association with 14 members and Emerging Association with 18 members. Bangladesh was included into Emerging Association. In 1980, Bangladesh appeared first time in the AFC Cup Football and round 1 was its best performance.
Bangladesh appeared 6 times in the South Asian Football Federation Cup since 1995. In 2003, Bangladesh won first time the South Asian Football Federation Cup. It was its best performance.
In 1985, Bangladesh defeated Maldives by 8-0. It was a biggest win in an international match by Bangladesh. Unfortunately, the current FIFA ranking of Bangladesh is 157 while Maldives is 142!
In 1979, South Korea, the holder of 4th place in 2002 World Cup soccer and the participant of the current world Cup soccer in the group B beat Bangladesh 9-0. It was the biggest loss of Bangladesh in an international football.
In 2010 South Asian Games, Bangladesh won Gold Medal in football.
The more we play, the more we grow is the philosophy for all sports. The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) has a number of competitions including the National League, Federation Cup, Premier League and Sher-e-Bangla Cup National Football Championship. The BFF needs to restore Aga Khan Gold Cup to boost our football. Victory Day and Independence Day Football for all ages can play positive roles.
Development of football intent of our youths should be the prime mission of BFF. Football schools or academies around the globe, voluntary, semi professional and professional, are playing a role in developing youth football. Behind Brazil's success its football academies subsidised by the government play a big role. Bangladesh can take similar steps.
Football academies can provide coaching and training to all school age boys and girls. They can operate training courses, workshops and seminars for football coaches, school sports teachers and football volunteers.
The football academies develop the skills of young footballers through round the year training and soccer education. Competitive football leagues would help achieve high level of skills, tactics and physical fitness. The BFF can set up football academies around the country to get more and more budding footballers.
The school authorities can launch intramural football and annual inter school football on the national basis.
Football at the college and university level needs dynamism. Inter-college and inter-university football tournaments should not be neglected anymore.
The Futsal Committee of BFF's Standing Committee needs to create awareness for organising indoor football leagues around the country on artificial turfs for Bangladeshi footballers so that they can stay tuned during winter and off seasons.
Football is a fluid game where a midfielder can be a forward for five or ten minutes and then return to his or her original position. Similarly, a forward can come back to defend. There is no ultimate football formation. The best formation of a football team depends on the abilities of its players.
A goalkeeper normally remains within the penalty box and is not included in football formation. The football formation can be either offensive or defensive. The score of the game often determines the formation.
A team that is ahead will probably form on defense and the team which is behind will focus on offence. Formation can be changed on the special abilities of a star player of a team or the weaknesses of opposition side.
A 4-2-4 formation means 4 forwards, 2 midfielders and 4 defenders.
It is the one of the most attacking football formations in modern era. Football legend Pele of Brazil played in this formation in the 1958 World Cup, when he was 17, and Brazil won the Cup.
The main strength of 4-4-2 is its defense-midfield interaction. Using this formation England secured its only World Cup in 1966. Today many teams play their own version of this tactics.
The 4-3-3 formation, innovated by developing 4-2-4 formation, was played by the Brazilian national team in the 1962 World Cup. Brazil won the cup. Many North American Soccer League Teams use this formation.
Playing the 3-5-2 formation Argentina won the 1986 and Brazil the 2002 World Cup.
The Dutch are credited for inventing in 1970 'total football'. Total football demands physical strength and high level of technical power because each footballer in this system must adapt to the situation.
Anyone can be an attacker, anyone defender in this system.
In 1974 World Cup, the Dutch playing total football, beat both Brazil and Argentina in the second group to reach the final for the first time.
Unfortunately, they lost in the final to the then West Germany 0-1.
Bangladesh might use its own version of total football. A country can buy all of soccer gear but cannot buy physical endurance, breathe and tactics for a 90-minute game. These can be achieved by continuous practice, training and competitive football.
E-mail: iftuahmed@sbcglobal.net
The world's eyes are turning to South Africa where the FIFA (Federation International Football Association) World Cup soccer is going to kick off from June 11 to July 11, 2010. Thirty-two nations are participating being divided into eight groups consisting four teams in each group. Soccer fans are predicting about the next World Cup champ. Brazil has five history of being five times World Cup champs, while Italy, Germany and Argentina have won the World Cup four, three and two times respectively. Both England and France won the World Cup only once.
To play the World Cup soccer is still a dream for Bangladesh. Who knows someday Bangladesh may play in the World Cup soccer. Once we did not know that we will play in the Test Match and World Cup cricket. Whatever the results in cricket, we are able to do so and more importantly, we have a record to defeat formidable cricket nations like Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka.
In 1937, the famous Islington Corinthians (1932-1940), a football team of England, toured the then East Bengal now Bangladesh. It played an exhibition match against Dhaka XI and was defeated 0-1. Pakhi Sen of Mymensingh scored that historic goal. It was a memorable event that gave a boost football in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh is a member of Asian Football Federation (AFC) which is one of the six regional confederations of FIFA, the global governing body of football based in Zurich, Switzerland. The AFC is consisted of 47 members and split into four regions, viz., the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF), the East Asian Football Federation (EAFF), the West Asian Football Federation (WAFF) and the Central and South Asian Football Federation (CSAFF).
The AFF is consisted of 12 members where Australia was included in 2006 and Israel was excluded while the EAFF, the WAFF and the CSFF were consisted of 10, 13 and 12 members respectively.
The AFC was allocated with four assuring berths for World Cup. As a result, Australia from AFF, and Japan, North Korea and South Korea from EAFF were qualified for World Cup from Asia. The AFC classified its members into three categories which are Developed Association with 15 members, Developing Association with 14 members and Emerging Association with 18 members. Bangladesh was included into Emerging Association. In 1980, Bangladesh appeared first time in the AFC Cup Football and round 1 was its best performance.
Bangladesh appeared 6 times in the South Asian Football Federation Cup since 1995. In 2003, Bangladesh won first time the South Asian Football Federation Cup. It was its best performance.
In 1985, Bangladesh defeated Maldives by 8-0. It was a biggest win in an international match by Bangladesh. Unfortunately, the current FIFA ranking of Bangladesh is 157 while Maldives is 142!
In 1979, South Korea, the holder of 4th place in 2002 World Cup soccer and the participant of the current world Cup soccer in the group B beat Bangladesh 9-0. It was the biggest loss of Bangladesh in an international football.
In 2010 South Asian Games, Bangladesh won Gold Medal in football.
The more we play, the more we grow is the philosophy for all sports. The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) has a number of competitions including the National League, Federation Cup, Premier League and Sher-e-Bangla Cup National Football Championship. The BFF needs to restore Aga Khan Gold Cup to boost our football. Victory Day and Independence Day Football for all ages can play positive roles.
Development of football intent of our youths should be the prime mission of BFF. Football schools or academies around the globe, voluntary, semi professional and professional, are playing a role in developing youth football. Behind Brazil's success its football academies subsidised by the government play a big role. Bangladesh can take similar steps.
Football academies can provide coaching and training to all school age boys and girls. They can operate training courses, workshops and seminars for football coaches, school sports teachers and football volunteers.
The football academies develop the skills of young footballers through round the year training and soccer education. Competitive football leagues would help achieve high level of skills, tactics and physical fitness. The BFF can set up football academies around the country to get more and more budding footballers.
The school authorities can launch intramural football and annual inter school football on the national basis.
Football at the college and university level needs dynamism. Inter-college and inter-university football tournaments should not be neglected anymore.
The Futsal Committee of BFF's Standing Committee needs to create awareness for organising indoor football leagues around the country on artificial turfs for Bangladeshi footballers so that they can stay tuned during winter and off seasons.
Football is a fluid game where a midfielder can be a forward for five or ten minutes and then return to his or her original position. Similarly, a forward can come back to defend. There is no ultimate football formation. The best formation of a football team depends on the abilities of its players.
A goalkeeper normally remains within the penalty box and is not included in football formation. The football formation can be either offensive or defensive. The score of the game often determines the formation.
A team that is ahead will probably form on defense and the team which is behind will focus on offence. Formation can be changed on the special abilities of a star player of a team or the weaknesses of opposition side.
A 4-2-4 formation means 4 forwards, 2 midfielders and 4 defenders.
It is the one of the most attacking football formations in modern era. Football legend Pele of Brazil played in this formation in the 1958 World Cup, when he was 17, and Brazil won the Cup.
The main strength of 4-4-2 is its defense-midfield interaction. Using this formation England secured its only World Cup in 1966. Today many teams play their own version of this tactics.
The 4-3-3 formation, innovated by developing 4-2-4 formation, was played by the Brazilian national team in the 1962 World Cup. Brazil won the cup. Many North American Soccer League Teams use this formation.
Playing the 3-5-2 formation Argentina won the 1986 and Brazil the 2002 World Cup.
The Dutch are credited for inventing in 1970 'total football'. Total football demands physical strength and high level of technical power because each footballer in this system must adapt to the situation.
Anyone can be an attacker, anyone defender in this system.
In 1974 World Cup, the Dutch playing total football, beat both Brazil and Argentina in the second group to reach the final for the first time.
Unfortunately, they lost in the final to the then West Germany 0-1.
Bangladesh might use its own version of total football. A country can buy all of soccer gear but cannot buy physical endurance, breathe and tactics for a 90-minute game. These can be achieved by continuous practice, training and competitive football.
E-mail: iftuahmed@sbcglobal.net