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Thomas Dooley still doesn’t have a recognised number nine for this tournament, and he’s said so himself in press conferences. What he does have is a right winger scoring goals for the league champions, two teenage wingers only just added to the squad, and a genuine decision to make before kickoff in Jakarta against a familiar rival. None of the obvious candidates fit the old-fashioned target man mould at all. Here’s who is actually in the frame to lead the line on 25 September.
Eight results in the last twelve months tell an uncomfortable story: nine goals scored, thirteen conceded, two wins from eight matches. A 2-2 draw with Nepal and a narrow win over San Marino were the highlights, but heavier defeats came against Vietnam and in World Cup qualifying.
No specialist striker has carried that scoring load either. Topu Barman, a centre-back, scored twice against San Marino, while Hamza Choudhury has chipped in four goals from a deeper midfield role. It’s a squad without an obvious focal point in front of goal, exactly the problem Dooley is trying to solve.
Rakib Hossain arrives with clearly the strongest club form in the squad, scoring 27 goals in 71 appearances for Bashundhara Kings, this season’s domestic champions, and adding 6 goals in 49 caps nationally. He plays as a right winger rather than a central striker, but he’s the closest thing to a proven finisher available.
Minhazul Karim Shadin offers a different profile, a left-sided forward who was joint top scorer in the 2024-25 Bangladesh Championship League with 8 goals and named that competition’s best player. His 2025-26 numbers have cooled to two goals in limited minutes, but his record shows he knows where the net is.
Fahamedul Islam adds yet another wrinkle here, an England-developed left-sided player who made his senior debut only in June of last year after spells in Italian lower-division academies at Spezia and Sampdoria. He has barely a season of senior football to his name, yet he’s already part of this squad on potential alone.
None of these three arrived through a conventional academy pipeline, and Dooley has openly admitted he’s struggled to find a genuine target man, saying candidates he identified couldn’t leave college in the United States to join up in time. That ongoing search shapes every selection call around this squad.
Farhaan Ali Wahid, a 19-year-old on loan at Boreham Wood from Fulham, put up 10 goals and 7 assists for Fulham’s under-21 side and won a player-of-the-month award in November. Dooley has praised his finishing instinct, though he’s stopped short of calling him a saviour, and FIFA’s squad list files him as a midfielder.
Shuki Itofusa, a Japanese-Bangladeshi left winger, only joined Fortis FC on 2 September after a spell with a Laos-based club, meaning he arrives with zero domestic league minutes under his belt so far. Between Wahid’s raw promise and Itofusa’s total unfamiliarity with the league, Dooley is leaning on potential over proven output at exactly the position where he most needs to be strongest against Malaysia.
| Forward | Club | Key Stat |
| Rakib Hossain | Bashundhara Kings | 27 goals in 71 club appearances |
| Minhazul Karim Shadin | PWD SC | 8 goals, 2024-25 BCL top scorer |
| Fahamedul Islam | Olbia, Italy | Uncapped, senior debut in 2025 |
| Farhaan Ali Wahid | Boreham Wood (loan) | 10 goals, 7 assists for Fulham U21 |
| Shuki Itofusa | Fortis FC | Joined 2 September, uncapped |
The all-time record against Malaysia is brutal reading: one official meeting, one heavy defeat, a 4-1 loss back in June 2022 with no goals scored from open play since that night. Malaysia arrive off their own semi-final exit at the ASEAN Championship in August, having conceded five goals across their last five matches, which at least offers something concrete for Bangladesh’s forwards to target on the night.
With Topu Barman now out injured and replaced late in the squad by forward Shahriar Emon, the front line for the Bangladesh vs Malaysia FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 forwards question likely comes down to Rakib leading the line with either Shadin or Wahid alongside him. The genuine number nine Dooley actually wants keeps eluding him entirely heading into Jakarta.
Who would you start up front against Malaysia? Make your case in the comments.
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Who is Bangladesh’s top-scoring threat heading into the ASEAN Cup?
Rakib Hossain carries the strongest current form of anyone in the squad. He scored 27 goals in 71 club appearances this season for champions Bashundhara Kings.
Does Bangladesh have a recognised striker for this tournament?
No, head coach Thomas Dooley has openly said he lacks a genuine number nine. He has described the search for one as extremely difficult given college eligibility issues abroad.
When do Bangladesh play Malaysia at the ASEAN Cup?
The match is scheduled for 25 September 2026 in Jakarta. It kicks off the Group A campaign at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium at 4 PM local time.
Why is Bangladesh playing in this tournament instead of India?
India withdrew to prioritise home friendlies against Brazil, Panama and Uruguay. Indonesia’s federation then invited Bangladesh to fill the spot, and the offer was accepted in mid-August.
Who are the new wingers in Bangladesh’s attacking squad?
Farhaan Ali Wahid and Shuki Itofusa are the two recent additions out wide. Wahid arrives from Fulham’s academy, while Itofusa only joined his current club on 2 September.
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