Sports Desk //

Leaving Farhan Ali Wahid out of the starting XI against Singapore in the FIFA Asean Cup sparked considerable discussion on social media. Rumors even circulated about a rift between Farhan and coach Thomas Dooley, and speculation arose that a disgruntled Farhan had left the team hotel. However, the Bangladesh coach has dismissed these reports as completely baseless.

Speaking to the private television channel T-Sports, Dooley said, “There is no conflict between Farhan Ali and me—certainly not on my part. I have no issues with his father either; there was no altercation or argument between us. Any stories circulating beyond that are entirely false.”

England-based forward Farhan made his national team debut in the match against Malaysia, which Bangladesh lost 3–0. Dooley substituted him off during the second half. Subsequently, he did not field Farhan at all in the match against Singapore, which ended in a 1–0 defeat. This decision triggered various discussions on social media.

However, Dooley views the decision to include a player in the starting lineup or substitute them as a standard part of a coach’s duties. He stated, “When a coach benches a player or makes a substitution, there is always a reason behind it. Perhaps the player needed rest due to a heavy schedule, maybe there was an injury, the decision could have been tactical, or it might have been due to performance. There could be a multitude of reasons.”

Dooley also feels there is no need to publicly explain why Farhan was not played. In his words, “I am always open about my decisions within the team and the federation. I am like an open book; I have nothing to hide.”

Dooley also provided an explanation as to why Farhan was substituted at halftime during the match against Malaysia. “And there is only one reason why Farhan was substituted at halftime: his performance.”

Rumors about Farhan leaving the team circulated on social media after he was missing from the lineup against Singapore. Various posts even claimed he had a falling-out with the coach. Annoyed by these rumors, Dooley said, “It feels like new rumors are cropping up almost every day since we arrived in Bangladesh. When people are unhappy about something or simply want to stir up a commotion, they post something on social media. And most of the time, there is no truth to it.”

Bangladesh has lost its first two matches in the ASEAN Cup. Defeats against Malaysia (3–0) and Singapore (1–0) have knocked the ‘Red and Greens’ out of the title race. Bangladesh will face Indonesia in their final match of the tournament next Thursday.

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