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Canadian professional footballer Shamit Shome has officially received approval from FIFA’s Players’ Status Committee to represent the Bangladesh national football team.
The 27-year-old midfielder, currently signed with Cavalry FC in the Canadian Premier League, is now eligible to participate in international fixtures for Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) announced on Tuesday.
Shome is expected to make his debut on June 10 during the Asian Cup Qualifier against Singapore in Dhaka. He will be joining forces with English Premier League player Hamza Dewan Choudhury in the national squad.
The process to naturalise Shome began in April. He received his Bangladeshi birth certificate on April 20, followed by a clearance from the Canada Soccer Association on May 1.
On May 5, Shome obtained his Bangladeshi passport, and the following day, he received the green light from FIFA to switch national allegiances.
Born in Canada to Bangladeshi parents, Shome previously featured in two international matches for Canada in 2020.
Notably, Hamza Choudhury made his first appearance for Bangladesh earlier this year, playing against India on March 25.
