Mamunul eager to prove his worth

Midfielder Mamunul Islam believes he still has something to give to the country and he is ready to show his worth if he is selected in the final squad of the national team for the Asian Cup Qualifying Play-Off against Bhutan.

Mamunul and seven of his Chittagong Abahani teammates joined Tom Saintfiet's training camp yesterday and they had two training sessions with the other players at the Birshrestha Shaheed Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Kamalapur.

Former captain Mamunul was dropped from the Bangladesh squad for the first leg match against Bhutan, which ended in a goalless draw, and the midfielder immediately announced his retirement, only to make a U-turn later.

“I came back for two reasons. The first one is that the tie against Bhutan is very important for us and a good result will have a good impact in the long term. The second reason is I was keen to prove myself in the league matches in which we, Chittagong Abahani, performed well as a team. I think I still have an opportunity in my position. I believe I have the ability. If the coach thinks he needs me, I am ready to give everything as I have a responsibility towards the country,” Mamunul told reporters after the training session.

Mamunul also believes playing in high altitude on artificial turf against the hosts will not be easy, but the players are prepared to take the challenge.