Former champions lock horns on opening day
Despite a big setback at the eleventh hour in the form of Abahani pulling out, the third edition of the Sheikh Kamal International Club Cup is set to get underway as scheduled when defending champions TC Sports Club of Maldives take on first edition winners and hosts Chattogram Abahani in the opening match today.
The match will get underway at the MA Aziz Stadium in Chattogram at 7:00pm.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Abahani’s withdrawal was thought to have dented interest in the tournament, but the other participating teams feel that this edition will be the most competitive of the three editions.
“There are good teams from different countries this time. We have had lots of changes since we won this title. However, we are under no pressure. We come here as defending champions and we came here to win the title,” TC Sports Club coach Afia Mohamed Hamid told a pre-tournament press conference at the MA Aziz Stadium yesterday.
Even though the TC Sports coach sounded confident about his team’s chances, he will have a tall ask with a team featuring only one foreign player and only two Maldives internationals.
The challenge may come in the very first game in the form of Chattogram Abahani, who have six Bangladesh internationals including captain Jamal Bhuiyan and three foreign players with Europa League experience and one with World Cup experience.
Tournament hosts Chattogram Abahani won the first edition with eleven players borrowed from other clubs and current coach Maruful Haque, who is in charge for this tournament, believes his team can do the same with a group of players mostly roped in for this assignment.
“Even though our ultimate target is to regain the title, we are eyeing the semifinal stage at the moment. But it won’t be easy as the other teams are very strong,” Maruful said.
Captain Jamal, who has been loaned out by Saif Sporting Club, felt getting the team to gel in short time is no issue.
“As professional footballers, you cannot always eat biscuits and drink tea with the others all the time. How we play with each other is the most important thing. Our coach has told us what we should do. And my target is to win with Chittagong Abahani and to make my fans more fanatic for me,” Jamal said.
Group A, which features Chattogram Abahani and TC Sports Club, is believed to be the easier of the two groups, with Mohun Bagan and Young Elephants being the other two teams.
Group B features Bashundhara Kings, Chennai City FC, Terengganu FC and Gokulam Kerala, the latter one expected to replace Dhaka Abahani.
Captains and coaches of four other teams talked about their teams and targets, while Chennai City FC and Gokulam Kerala are yet to arrive in the country.
Meanwhile, even though there has been a bit of mismanagement regarding the scheduling and other such issues, preparations for the game on the field looked on target as the ground was prepared well, with one of the coaches praising the ground conditions openly. The gallery tickets will be sold for Tk 10 and 20 while the tournament will have a short opening ceremony where Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud is expected to be present as the chief guest.
Players to watch
Jamal Bhuiyan
(Ctg Abahani): The Bangladesh national team captain is arguably one of the most popular sporting figures in the country right now. A constant fixture of the national team for the past seven years, this Denmark-born midfielder has perhaps reached the peak of his form and maturity as his assured ball-play in the midfield helped the Red and Greens assert control over oppositions like Qatar and India recently. On loan from Saif Sporting Club, the 29-year-old will certainly be at the centre of attention for Chattogram Abahani during this tournament.
Prince Tagoe (Ctg Abahani): Prince Tagoe may not be a very familiar name to Bangladesh football fans but he is one of the two players playing in this tournament with the distinction of representing their national team at the FIFA World Cup. The now 32-year-old striker played in all three group matches for Ghana during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He scored seven times in 36 appearances for his national team. Signed by Chattogram Abahani for this tournament, Tagoe has previously played in some of the reputed clubs in Asia, Africa and Europe.
Daniel Colindres (Bashundhara Kings): For many, the Costa Rican World Cupper was the key driving force for Bashundhara Kings in their successful debut season in Bangladesh’s top-flight football this year. The 34-year-old, who donned the Costa Rican jersey in the most recent World Cup in Russia, scored 11 goals and set up countless others for his teammates as Bashundhara Kings made it to the final of all three domestic completions, winning two out of those. It won’t be a surprise if Bashundhara Kings and Colindres add a third trophy to their cabinet in two weeks.
Andrew Lee Tuck (Terengganu FC): He may have played only one season in Dhaka football, but Andrew Lee Tuck left a lasting impression on the spectators who watched him play for Abahani in the 2015-16 season. Believed to be the most attractive foreign player to play in Bangladesh since Sony Norde, this English midfielder won many hearts with his skills, not to mention the 10 goals and many assists he made. With 10 years of experience in Asian football, Lee Tuck will be back, leading Terengganu FC of Malaysia in this tournament.
Pedro Manzi (Chennai City FC): Although this Espanyol youth product spent the most part of his career in Spanish lower leagues, Pedro Manzi proved to be a revelation for Chennai City FC, guiding the club to the Indian League title in his debut season last year, scoring 25 goals in 21 games. He scored a hattrick on his debut and followed up with three more trebles.
Daniel Cyrus (Mohun Bagan): Mohun Bagan may not be the force they once were but they are still competing with pride in the I-League and will probably be playing in the ISL this season. With their big plans, the team has roped in Trinidad veteran Daniel Cyrus, who is a towering figure at the heart of defence and has 93 caps for his national team along with Major League Soccer experience.
GROUPINGS
Group A: TC Sports Club, Mohun Bagan, Young Elephants FC, Chattogram Abahani
Group B: Bashundhara Kings, Chennai City FC, Terengganu FC, Gokulam Kerala (not yet confirmed)
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