I Defender Mohammad Sujon is the only new face in the 20-member na- ] tional football team which Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) an-

nounced yesterday lor the fortlKoming Millennium Cup io be held in India from January 10.

Bangladesh, led by Alfaz Ahmed, have been drafted in Grou|> A along with Euro|x-an power Yugoslavia. Bosnia and Asian giants Iraq for tlw first round of the 16-nation tournament organised by All India Football Federation(AIFF)

This tournament will also be of tremendous help for the Bangladesh team as they prepare for their World Cup 2002 qualifiers which will be held in Saudi Arabia next month.

Uruguay. Iceland. Indonesia. Romania. Cameroon. Jordan. Hong Kong. Chile. Uzbekistan. Japan. Bahrain and hosts India are the other 12 team taking part in the biggest football tournament in India which will end on January' 25.

The fixture of the first round will be revealed by the organisers tomorrow.

Sujon. the tall Muktijoddha central defender, is otherwise considered as the best (Ind of the season .Although, he was facing a six-month ban along with live other hooters on disci-plinary ground at the beginning of (he season, the talented central defender finally got a chance to show his ability to the Dhaka crowd after BFF lifted the ban during the Premier Division league

His Muktijoddha teammate Maksndnl Amin Rana has also iciurncd io the national fold after two years

The talented striker played for (he National team In 1998 when Bangladesh toured Qatar for two friendly matches, He was then considered for the SAF Football Championship in April 1999 but was finally dropped for injury. The injury ah • kept his away from the national learn for Iasi three trips m Nepal. Maldives and England

Sujon and Rana are two oi the nine Muktijoddha booters included in the 20-man team. Conntrvs number one goalkeeper Aminul Haque, delenders Rajani Kanta Barman. Pro-deep Kumar Poddar. Hasan Al-Mamun. midfielders Zulfiqar Mahmud Mintu. Rrzaul Karim and forward Sourav Majunider Raju are the others selected from the Premier Division champions.

National League champions Abahani have five. Moliam-medan three while Badda Jaga-rani and Rahmatganj have two and one respectively in the side which is being trained by Hungarian coach iieorge Cottan.

The BFF initially selected 30 booters tor ihe World Cup qualifying camp. Four players-Selim Tushar. Khokon and Seniu did not respond to the call of the ledcration and accepted life ban while Bijan and Tanveer wen* dropped initially on fitness ground The remaining four who (ailed to make it to the last twenty are Tituineer. Ritu. Asad and Parvez Babu.

SQUAD

Aminul Haque. Biplab Bhattachariva l-Troz Mahmud Hossain Tito. Prodeep Kumar Poddar. Nazrul Islam. Pavel Mahmud. Hasan Al-Mamun. Matlnr Rahman Munna Iqbal Hossain. Sailur Rahman Mom. Alfaz Ahmed (captain!. Koko-nuzzaman K.uu him. *

Mahmud Minin Maksudul Amin Rana. Monwar Hossain