Bangladesh unexpectedly excludes foreign-born player ahead of match against Vietnam national team.

Bangladesh national team finalized a 23-player roster for Vietnam trip, but drew attention by dropping naturalized Cuban midfielder Mitchell before the away match against Vietnam national team.

On March 20, head coach Javier Penato officially confirmed the 23-player squad for Bangladesh national team for the away trip to Vietnam. The most notable decision was the exclusion of naturalized Cuban midfielder Mitchell, despite earlier expectations that he would significantly strengthen the midfield.

Cuba Mitchell was born in England, has Jamaican heritage, and completed procedures to obtain Bangladeshi citizenship in 2024. He trained in youth academies of Birmingham City and Sunderland, and was considered one of the promising talents. However, after a short domestic training camp, the coaching staff decided to drop this player due to not meeting tactical requirements.

Even without Mitchell, Bangladesh's squad still includes several notable players who are playing or developed abroad. The most prominent is Hamza Choudhury, former midfielder of Leicester City. Additionally, there are Tariq Kazi (Finland), Zayyan Ahmed (USA), and Fahamedul Islam (Italy), forming a relatively diverse framework in terms of playing experience.

According to the plan, the Bangladesh national team will depart for Vietnam on the evening of March 20 (local time), transit through Guangzhou before landing in Hanoi on the morning of March 21. The visiting team will have about five days to adapt to playing conditions and finalize the squad.

The friendly match between Bangladesh and Vietnam national team is scheduled for March 26 at Hang Day Stadium. This is considered an important opportunity for both teams to test personnel ahead of official objectives in 2026.

Regarding form, Bangladesh has a relatively balanced record since 2025 with 2 wins, 4 draws, and 2 losses. Although they have lost the chance to compete for Asian Cup 2027 finals qualification, trailing Singapore by 6 points in Group C, the team