Bangladesh's tour of Indonesia cancelled due to vaccination issues

Javier Cabrera was supposed to make his debut as the head coach of Bangladesh football team with two friendly matches in Indonesia. But the team won't be able to tour Indonesia because a lot of players have not yet been vaccinated against Covid-19. The news has been confirmed by Kazi Nabil Ahmed, chairman of the national team committee of the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF).

The friendly matches between Bangladesh and Indonesia were scheduled to take place on 24 and 27 January and ahead of that, the BFF appointed a new head coach. Cabrera was supposed to come to Dhaka ahead of the Indonesia tour on 15 January. 

A press release from the BFF on Thursday read, "Football Association of Indonesia informed that all the players and team officials have to be vaccinated twice against Covid-19."

Regarding the cancellation of the tour, Kazi Nabil Ahmed said, "Bangladesh were scheduled to play two friendlies on 24 and 27 January respectively. We were preparing ourselves keeping that in mind. Our coach is also coming here on 15 January. We have made a list of players already too. But from Indonesia we have been informed that all the players and staff have to be vaccinated twice."

He said that the entire squad is yet to be vaccinated. 15 footballers have been vaccinated twice. Seven of them have taken the first dose and six haven't been vaccinated. 

Now that the tour to Indonesia has been cancelled, Bangladesh won't get to play any international match during the January Fifa window. Kazi Nabil Ahmed stated that the federation would try to arrange these two matches in March. He further mentioned that all the players will be vaccinated as soon as possible.