Bangladesh professional football league champion Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club has refused to send its team to Pakistan for the AFC President's Cup citing security concern.
The team was supposed to take part in Group-A of the tournament, which is scheduled to be held from May 8 to 12, along with Erchim FC (Mongolia), KRL Football Club (Pakistan) and Taiwan Power Company (Chinese Taipei) at Punjab Stadium in Lahore.
“We have recently informed Bangladesh Football Federation through a letter of us not going to Pakistan as it is not a safe country,” Manzoor Kader, president of the club, told reporters.
Abu Nayeem Shohag, BFF acting general secretary, said the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) conveyed the matter to its disciplinary committee for further action against Sheikh Jamal club. The club might be punished for the refusal, he added.
Meanwhile, BFF tried to convince the AFC by sending runner-up team Muktijoddha Sangsad instead but it rejected the proposal.