Sacrifice, sweat and a second chance: Zico eyes fresh start

While the rest of the nation celebrates Eid with family and loved ones, the Bangladesh national football team is busy sweating it out on the training pitch. 

For the players, the sacrifice of spending the festive season away from home is a familiar but necessary price to pay for national glory, especially with the San Marino friendly coming up under a new coaching regime.

The spotlight of the current training camp shines brightest on veteran goalkeeper Anisur Rahman Zico, who has made a highly anticipated return to the national setup. 

After a challenging period on the sidelines, Zico is back, fueled by an excellent domestic season where he helped his club secure a historic treble.

"Of course, it’s Eid day, a day of joy for us Muslims," Zico said, speaking after an early morning session on Thursday. "It feels a bit difficult not being able to spend it with my family, but we have to make sacrifices for the country. I’ve done this many times before."

Zico’s return to the national squad comes after a grueling period of self-improvement and hard work.

"I have been working incredibly hard for this for a long time," Zico shared, reflecting on his journey back to the team. "Morning and evening gym sessions, pushing myself constantly.

Our goalkeeper coach (Nuruzzaman) Noyon, gave me immense support. By the grace of Almighty, I played the entire domestic season and we won the treble. It was a very difficult journey, but it feels great to be back in the national team."

When asked about the past controversies or performance dips that had previously kept him out of the squad, Zico chose to look forward rather than dwell on the past.

"You all already know everything about that, so there is not much for me to say," Zico remarked. "It is in the past now, and I don’t want to talk about it. I am here now, and I want to continue my journey here."

With new head coach Thomas Dooley at the helm, Zico acknowledged that reclaiming his starting position will not be handed to him on a silver platter.

"The challenge is definitely greater now," Zico admitted. "The other goalkeepers are playing and performing well. But I am fully fit, and if I get my spot back, I will give my absolute best for the team."