Hamza Choudhury’s arrival in Bangladesh has kicked off a storm as the Leicester City player finally got approval from FIFA to change his international allegiance. Bangladesh open their AFC Asian Cup qualification campaign against India on Tuesday, and national team captain Jamal Bhuyan had a bold message for Sunil Chhetri and Co.
Speaking in a press conference, and seated next to the Premier League player, Bhuyan bluntly said, “It is like our Messi has come to us.”
“Hamza is an English Premier League player. He is our Messi. Everyone in our team welcomed Hamza. Everyone has respect for him.”
‘You can feel compare Sunil Chhetri to Hamza Choudhury’: Jamal Bhuyan
Meanwhile, Jamal also had a brutal response, when asked to compare Hamza to Chhetri. “You can’t compare Sunil Chhetri to Hamza. Sunil has done great things for India, but let’s be honest — Hamza is a Premier League player,” he said.
Sunil Chhetri made his international comeback recently after announcing his retirement last year. Initially, head coach Manolo Marquez’s decision wasn’t well received by some fans and former players, who felt that it would hinder the development of Indian football. But Chhetri’s performance in Shillong justified Marquez’s decision, who made it known that he needs India’s best-ever goalscorer in his squad. He featured in the playing XI vs Maldives in an international friendly, and scored in a 3-0 win.
Meanwhile, even Hamza is confident about his Bangladesh debut, and laid down the ambitions for the side. “We are a great nation. We can achieve anything if we put in the hard work and respect the process. There’s no rush — we have time, Inshallah. I’ll be playing for Bangladesh for years,” he said.
“I come from a different league and style of play, but these players — like Jamal — have far more international experience. That counts for a lot. I’m here to learn from them too. Inshallah, we will succeed, taking one step at a time,” he added.
Bangladesh head coach Javier Cabrera has also remarked that the arrival of Hamza makes it easier for him to prepare his team for India. “Now, to me, it is about getting ready and working on the mentality of how to beat them [India]. That is our eagerness, our meetings, the intensity of our practices, how much we demand of ourselves to reach the peak level and making sure we convince ourselves that we can make history on Indian soil,” he said.
Hamza is currently on loan at Sheffield United, from Premier League side Leicester. He can play as a defensive midfielder, and also as a right-back, which shows his versatility. He has played for England at under-21 level, and never for their senior team.