18,300 tickets to be available for Hamza's first home game against Singapore

As excitement builds for Bangladesh's AFC Asian Cup Qualifier against Singapore on 10th June, 18,300 tickets will be made available to fans. The match could see Sheffield United midfielder Hamza Choudhury make his first home appearance in national colours at the newly renovated National Stadium.

Hamza, who made his debut for Bangladesh on 25th March in their Asian Cup fixture against hosts India, received an overwhelming welcome when he visited his ancestral home in Habiganj, Sylhet, ahead of the match in Shillong.

The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) is working towards staging the high-profile clash at the 22,000-capacity stadium.

To ensure the success of the arrangement, the BFF Competition Committee and officials from the National Sports Council (NSC), the owner of the National Stadium, held a meeting today in the conference room of the stadium.

"The NSC has updated us on the progress of the renovation works at the National Stadium, and we are optimistic about having the stadium ready by the 22nd March deadline. This will allow us to host an international friendly match before the 10th June tie," said Competitions Committee chairman Golam Gaus in a conversation with the Daily Star at the BFF House this afternoon. "Additionally, we want the national team to prepare on this ground before their match."

Competitions Committee member Tajwar Awal, the younger brother of BFF president Tabith Awal, informed the media that the goal is to bring spectators back to the stadium by hosting the Asian Cup Qualifier against Singapore at the National Stadium. This led to discussions with NSC officials on various matters.

"Approximately 18,300 tickets will be available for spectators in the general galleries. We also plan to sell tickets online, and the Marketing Committee will decide on the prices after discussing the matter with the BFF," said Tajwar. "We want to ensure that spectators turn up at the stadium and that the BFF can also generate revenue from ticket sales."

The rest of the tickets will be allocated to various football stakeholders.

Following the briefing, BFF officials and NSC inspected the gallery and pitch. Although the pitch has been under preparation for some time, it appeared uneven in some areas. Gaus mentioned that roller machines are being used to even out the surface, while the NSC is preparing separate rooms for the match commissioner and referees, in line with international standards.

As a former national footballer, Gaus expressed confidence that all preparations would be completed on schedule, allowing for the successful hosting of the 10th June match against Singapore.