NIKOLA ILIEVSKI

Nikola Ilievski, the newly-appointed Macedonian coach of Bangladesh national football team, pointed out the culture of long-ball football as the biggest handicap for Bangladesh competing at international stage. That culture, which he feels is nurtured at club level, will take time to correct according to Ilievski. The 57-year old was speaking yesterday at a press conference at the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) arranged to introduce the new coach who takes over the reign of Bangladesh football for a year.
“I witnessed the league match between Mohammedan and Abahani yesterday (Friday), and what I have seen is that there is a culture of playing long ball here. Modern football demands touch football, short passes and speed and that is what I would like to instil here too,” said the former national coach of Macedonia in his effort-driven English.
BFF president Kazi Salahuddin, who had an hour-long discussion with the coach earlier, said he was delighted that they had the same understanding of where the basic difficulties towards making a competitive side lie.
“I had a long conversation with the new coach and am very impressed with the depth of knowledge he possesses, I hope his presence will lift the players and the standards,” hoped the BFF president.
The coach himself was pleased to be at the helm of a national side, for the second time in his 21-year coaching career, and 8 years after a year-long stint in charge of his native Macedonia. The Macedonian who represented Yugoslavia in the 1982 World Cup has been contracted for one year initially at a monthly remuneration of six thousand dollars.
“I am very happy to be the coach of Bangladesh, I believe in teamwork and firmly believe that I can take Bangladesh to a new height, I will work step by step,” said the new coach.
But as much as there is a long-term goal to be achieved, there is a task at hand just round the corner for the Bangladesh team; taking on Pakistan in pre-World Cup qualifiers at home and away next week.
Ilievski said that even though he did not have much knowledge about football in these two nations, he watched a video tape of a match between the two sides which was played 2 years ago that ended 0-0.
From the BFF House, the Macedonian went straight to the national footballers' camp in BKSP, Savar where the 15-member squad have been preparing themselves. The first match of the double-legged qualifier will be played on June 29 in Dhaka and the second leg on July 3 in Lahore. The schedule was officially confirmed by FIFA on Friday, after they were satisfied with security arrangements made in Pakistan. BFF had earlier applied to FIFA to hold the 2nd leg at Dhaka for security fears.
The 15-member squad of Bangladesh:
Mamun Khan, Md. Ariful Islam, Uttam Kumar Banik, Yusuf Ali Khan, Rezaul Karim, Nasirul Islam Nasir, Mamunul Islam Mamun, Munayem Khan Raju, Zahid Hossain, Shakil Ahmed, Abdul Baten Mazumder Komol, Atikur Rahan Mishu, Zahid Hossain Ameli, Mohammad Yusuf, Jamal Bhuyan