BANGLADESH - AWAY SHIRT 2025
Bangladesh are the national side of a cricket-obsessed country where football still stirs deep passion, governed by the Bangladesh Football Federation, formed in 1972 in the year after independence. Known as the Bengal Tigers, they play in the red and green of the national flag and call the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka home, a vast bowl in the heart of the capital that has hosted the biggest occasions on Bangladeshi soil. Few national teams can claim a support as fervent, at home and across a diaspora scattered around the world.
The year 2025, during which this smart away shirt was worn, will be remembered as the year the Bengal Tigers went global. Under Spanish coach Javier Cabrera, Bangladesh embraced their overseas talent, and the arrival of Leicester City midfielder Hamza Choudhury (over 100 Premier League appearances, then on loan at Sheffield United) turned qualifiers into national events. Canada-born Shamit Shome and Italian-raised Fahamidul Islam followed him into the squad. In the AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers, Bangladesh finished the year third in Group C on five points from their opening matches, behind Singapore and Hong Kong but ahead of neighbours India.
The standout night came in March, when a Hamza-inspired Bangladesh dominated higher-ranked India in Shillong yet had to settle for a goalless draw, spurning at least five clear chances. A 2-0 friendly win over Bhutan in June followed, Hamza opening the scoring inside six minutes before Sohel Rana added a second, though a narrow 2-1 defeat to Singapore soon after showed the gap still to close.
Hamza Choudhury was the story of the year, his Premier League class obvious in midfield, while Sohel Rana and the diaspora newcomers gave supporters real hope. For a nation long starved of footballing headlines, 2025 offered a fresh sense of possibility and a squad worth following.
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