Taj desires to beat his brother for national team place

Left-back Taj Uddin's dream to play with his elder brother in the national team has all but come true after getting a call-up to the preliminary squad ahead of the World Cup Qualifiers against Palestine. The 21-year-old defender is now dreaming to secure a place in the final squad, even at the expense of his elder brother Saad Uddin, who plays as a right-back.

"As I have grown up watching my brother play for the national team, I also started dreaming to play alongside him. Our family members are happy to see both of us in the squad and I am trying to secure a place in the final squad by adapting the things the coach is teaching us," Taj said in a video message sent by Bangladesh Football Federation on Thursday.

"I want to play for the national team beating my brother, who can also play as a left-back. So both of us have chance to be in the squad," said the Sheikh Jamal defender, who had previously played for Saif SC and Muktijoddha Sangsad.

Before joining the national camp under Javier Cabrera, Taj learned a lot of things from Saad but now he sees differences between that and national team training.

"I have been trying to cope up with the team environment as there are a lot of differences in the camp from what I had learned from my brother. There is also difference between club and national team environment. I am trying to pay back what the coach demands from me," said Taj.

Bangladesh team have been in Al Taif, Saudi Arabia for preparation ahead of the Palestine matches in Kuwait on March 21 and in Dhaka on March 26. The players are scheduled to play a second practice match against Sudan later on Thursday night before heading to Kuwait on March 17.