Bangladesh U23 coach hospitalized before match against Vietnam U23

Head coach of Bangladesh U23 team Saiful Bari Titu has been hospitalized due to fever, and is at risk of missing the opportunity to direct his players in the opening match of Group C of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship qualifiers against Vietnam U23 team at 7:00 p.m. on September 3.

Coach Saiful Bari Titu (holding flowers on the right of the photo) on his arrival in Viet Tri (August 30) - Photo: VFF

On September 2, head coach Saiful Bari Titu of Bangladesh U23 was unable to direct his players in the last training session before the match against Vietnam U23. He fell ill and had a fever after dinner on September 1 and had to be hospitalized for treatment. Currently, coach Saiful Bari Titu is still in the hospital recovering his health.

"He is very tired, has body aches, and is actively recovering. We are waiting for the test results from the doctors this afternoon," a member of the U23 Bangladesh team told Tuoi Tre Online on the afternoon of September 2 in Phu Tho .

It is unclear whether coach Saiful Bari Titu will be able to recover and lead the Bangladesh U23 team in the match against Vietnam U23 team on September 3. The absence of the head coach will significantly affect the team's performance.

Coach Saiful Bari Titu was born in 1972 in Bangladesh, has worked for the country's national men's teams since 2014 and has just become the technical director and head coach of the Bangladesh U23 men's team since 2024.

U23 Bangladesh is the earliest team to arrive in Vietnam (from August 30) among the opponents of coach Kim Sang Sik and his team in Group C of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship qualifiers.

Bangladesh's squad for this year's qualifiers is notable for the presence of Cuban naturalized striker Mitchell, who is of British, Jamaican and Bangladeshi descent and has played for youth teams in England such as Birmingham and Sunderland.

In addition to Cuba Mitchell, U23 Bangladesh also has two other multinational players: Zayyan Ahmed (USA) and Fahmeed Salik (England).

Before coming to Vietnam, Bangladesh had 2 friendly matches with U23 Bahrain and lost with scores of 0-1 and 2-4.

In the opening match of Group C of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship qualifiers, U23 Bangladesh will meet U23 Vietnam at 7:00 p.m. on September 3 at Viet Tri Stadium.

Some pictures of the training session of U23 Bangladesh at Viet Tri secondary field on the afternoon of September 2:

Cuba Mitchell was born in 2005 in Birmingham, plays as a midfielder, and has played for youth teams in England such as Birmingham and Sunderland. He was granted Bangladeshi citizenship earlier this year. Photo: NGOC LE

U23 Bangladesh also has another British player, Fahmeed Salik. Photo: NGOC LE

Zayyan Ahmed is an American player. Photo: NGOC LE

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/hlv-u23-bangladesh-phai-nhap-vien-truoc-tran-gap-u23-viet-nam-20250902155333085.htm