Dhaka, Sept 13 (UNB) – Former famed national footballer and coach Wazed Gazi died of old-age complications on Thursday morning. He was 87. 

He breathed his last at his Jashore residence around 9 am.

He left behind two sons, one daughter and a host of admirers to mourn his death. 

He was buried at Karbala graveyard in the district town of Jashore following a Namaz-e-Janaja at the Jashore Eidgah after Zohr players.

Wazed Gazi played football for Dhaka Mohammedan SC, Dhaka Wanderers Club and EPIDC in the 60’s.

He was a successful coach of Dhaka Premier League Club Arambagh KS in its golden time. 

Apart from Arambagh KS, he served as the head coach of Premier League Football clubs Sheikh Russel KC, Brothers Union Club, Muktijoddha Sangsad KC, Team BJMC and Rahmatganj MFS with good reputations.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF), Bangladesh Olympic Association (BOA), Arambagh KS and Bangladesh Sports Journalists Association (BSJA) condoled the death of Wazed Gazi.

In separate messages, they prayed for salvation of the departed soul and conveyed their sympathy to the bereaved family members.
 

Dhaka, Sept 13 (UNB) – Bangladesh will play the Maldives in the inaugural match of the SAFF U-15 Women’s Championship at the ANFA Complex in Kathmandu on October 25.
 
This was finalised at a ceremonial draw of the SAFF U-15 Championship held at the BFF House in Motijheel on Thursday.
 
Defending Champions India and hosts Nepal have been put in two separate pots as the top seeds. The final match will be held on November 3.
 
Meanwhile, the ceremonial draw of the SAFF Women’s Championship scheduled for December 17-26 was also held on the day after that of the SAFF U-15 Women’s Championship.
 
Defending champions India and Bangladesh have been pitted in Group B and Group A respectively.

However, the host of the tournament is yet to be finalised. 

“Sri Lanka is the potential host and they are in the top of the list while Nepal is in the second option. We’ll finalise the venue within this month,” said Anwarul Huq Helal, general secretary of South Asian Football Federation (SAFF).

BFF general secretary Abu Naeem Shohag, chairman of the BFF Media Committee Amirul Islam Babu, and Mindu Dorji, deputy general secretary of Bhutan Football Federation, were also present on the occasion.
 
Groupings of the SAFF U-15 Championships

Group A- Nepal, Bangladesh, the Maldives, Pakistan
Group- B- India, Bhutan, Sri Lanka
 
SAFF Women’s Championship 2018
Group A- Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan
Group B- India, the Maldives, Sri Lanka
 

Dhaka, Sep 13 (AP/UNB)- With goals in each of England's two games over the international break, Marcus Rashford might have nailed down a starting place for his country.

Doing the same at his club won't be quite so easy.

Rashford was back at Manchester United on Wednesday, likely resuming life on the margins of English soccer's biggest team. First, there's a three-match suspension to serve after getting a red card in United's last Premier League game for aiming a headbutt at an opponent soon after coming on as a substitute.

When he's available again after his ban, expect to see the 20-year-old Rashford mostly sitting on the bench and making frequent second-half cameos out on one of the wings. That's currently his role at United, which could start to get frustrating for the country's brightest young player.

"A prodigious talent," former England striker Gary Lineker tweeted after Rashford scored England's goal with a cushioned volley in the 1-0 win over Switzerland in a friendly on Tuesday.

That goal came after Rashford scored the opener in England's 2-1 loss to Spain in a UEFA Nations League game on Saturday.

Rashford started both international matches in his favored position as a central striker, benefiting from attacker Raheem Sterling's withdrawal because of injury. Both of his goals were clinical strikes from inside the penalty area, where England coach Gareth Southgate has said he wants to see Rashford rather than stuck out wide.

With his pace, movement and fearlessness, Rashford can be a nightmare for opponents when he plays on the shoulder of the last defender.

"We know how exciting he is," Southgate said after the game against Switzerland. "He will be a top player."

The problem for Rashford, and Southgate, is that he is not getting to play in his best position at United. Starts on the wing might be scarce, too.

With the 25-year-old Romelu Lukaku the first-choice striker and Alexis Sanchez — signed from Arsenal in January — the first-choice left winger, Rashford has to make do with bit-part roles under United manager Jose Mourinho in competition with another overlooked young forward, Anthony Martial. He doesn't look at home on the right wing.

Rashford made more appearances than any other outfield player at United last season, as Mourinho likes to point out, but they were mostly from the bench.

This season, he has started one game for United this season — the Premier League opener against Leicester, when he only played up front because Lukaku wasn't deemed ready to start after returning late to preseason training following the World Cup.

Rashford was a second-half substitute against Brighton, didn't come off the bench in the 3-0 home loss to Tottenham, and entered as a 61st-minute substitute against Burnley only to be red-carded 10 minutes later.

Mourinho only plays one up front so Rashford isn't going to be paired with Lukaku. Sanchez is United's marquee player along with Paul Pogba. So where does Rashford actually fit in? There's no outward sign of any resentment from Rashford, but will he continue to be content being a so-called "super-sub"?

It's no surprise that some pundits are questioning if United is going to be the right place for Rashford to develop into the world-class player his country hopes he'll be. At this stage in his career, he needs to be starting games.

One stat highlights just how precocious Rashford is: He has scored in his senior United debut (as a late call-up for a Europa League match in February 2016), his Premier League debut, his England debut, his Champions League debut and also his first Manchester derby.

Rashford is still raw — his final ball can be poor and his finishing sometimes lets him down — and he makes mistakes, but he is clearly a player for the big occasion.

Going forward, those occasions might be for England more than United.

Gold Coast, Sep 13 (AP/UNB) — Argentina coach Mario Ledesma made three changes, tweaking his forward pack and promoting a new halfback, for Saturday's Rugby Championship test against Australia.

The Pumas lost their last match 46-24 to New Zealand last weekend.

One of the changes announced Thursday was forced, with flanker Tomas Lezana ruled out due to a torn hamstring and replaced at No. 6 by Pablo Matera.

Santiago Medrano will also start at prop with Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro moving from tighthead to loosehead.

Meanwhile, Gonzalo Bertranou will wear the No. 9 jersey, bumping Martin Landajo to the bench and former ACT Brumbies halfback Tomas Cubelli out of the squad.

As expected, flanker David Pocock and Israel Folau were named by Australia coach Michael Cheika to make their return to the starting lineup. Pocock had a neck injury and Folau trained strongly after sustaining an ankle injury in the opening Bledisloe Cup clash against New Zealand.

Folau has been named on the right wing with Dane Haylett-Petty to retain the No. 15 jersey after two strong performances at fullback.

Adam Coleman returned to the Wallabies camp after the birth of his first child in Melbourne on Sunday and will start on the bench against Argentina.

Prop Sekope Kepu is set to earn his 97th test cap on Saturday with the veteran also named among the reserves, after missing the match-day 23 for the Wallabies' 23-18 win over South Africa last weekend.

Argentina is seeking its first win in Australia in 35 years.

Saturday's match will mark the first time Ledesma, the former Australian forwards coach, goes head-to-head against his former colleagues.

___

Lineups:

Australia: Dane Haylett-Petty, Israel Folau, Reece Hodge, Marika Koroibete, Matt Toomua, Kurtley Beale, Will Genia, David Pocock, Michael Hooper (captain), Lukhan Tui, Izack Rodda, Rory Arnold, Allan Alaalatoa, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Scott Sio. Reserves: Folau Faingaa, Sekope Kepu, Taniela Tupou, Adam Coleman, Pete Samu, Nick Phipps, Bernard Foley, Jack Maddocks.

Argentina: Emiliano Boffelli, Bautista Delguy, Matias Moroni, Jeronimo De La Fuente, Ramiro Moyano, Nicolas Sanchez, Gonzalo Bertranou, Javier Ortega Desio, Marcos Kremer, Pablo Matera, Tomas Lavanini, Guido Petti, Santiago Medrano, Agustin Creevy (captain), Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro. Reserves: Julian Montoya, Santiago Garcia Botta, Juan Pablo Zeiss, Matias Alemanno, Juan Manuel Leguizamon, Martin Landajo, Bautista Ezcurra, Juan Cruz Mallia.

Chicago, Sep 13 (AP/UNB) — U.S. midfielder Weston McKennie has a bruised left knee, not a sprain as first announced.

McKennie left the Americans' 1-0 exhibition win over Mexico on Tuesday night in the 40th minute after injuring the knee. The U.S. Soccer Federation originally called the injury a sprain, but said Wednesday he was re-evaluated and has a bruise and no sprain.

McKennie had an MRI and returned to his German club Schalke for additional treatment, according to the USSF, which did not have a timetable for his return.

The 20-year-old Texan has become a regular for Schalke.