Terengganu stifle Ctg Abahani’s dream

Terengganu FC showed their superior technical ability in the attacking third to get the better of hosts Chattogram Abahani 2-1 in the final of the Sheikh Kamal International Club Cup at the MA Aziz Stadium yesterday.

The Malaysian Super League outfit took a stranglehold on the game with two goals in the first 20 minutes, and despite conceding a goal early in the second half, the Southeast Asian club held on to their slender lead as the hosts failed to lift their game enough to stage a fightback worthy of champions.

The champions celebrate with the trophy. Photo: Rajib Raihan

The capacity crowd at the premier football venue in the port city went home disheartened with the hosts’ dream of regaining the title ending with a whimper.

Terengganu coach Nafuzi Bin Zain had, throughout the tournament, talked about the superiority of his players in technical ability, despite their apparent physical disadvantage. His claim was validated by the two early goals, the second one in particular on 20 minutes, when Azalinullah Bin Alias, who missed the semifinal due to suspension, dribbled past Ikbol Jon with a couple of step-overs before sliding the ball under the sliding Yeasin Arafat and past goalkeeper Mohammad Nehal into the far corner of the net.

The goal came as a crushing blow for the hosts who had gone a goal down five minutes earlier when defender, Hakim Bin Mamat, who was left unmarked inside the box, charged on to a corner-kick from Lee Tuck and picked the corner of the net with a towering header.

Hakim is not the tallest man on the pitch, but he rose the highest to meet the ball as the Chattogram Abahani defence concentrated on the usual suspects from the set-piece.

Chattogram Abahani had fought back from the death in the semifinal and hopes were raised when Luka Rotkovic pulled one goal back two minutes after restart, his shot on a cut-back from Chinedu Matthew bouncing inside the line off the underside of the bar.

But two forced substitutions in the space of 15 minutes, the first one of right-back Rahmat Mia and the second one of attacking midfielder Jean Charles Didier, strained the available options for coach Maruful Haque.

The 57th-minute injury to Didier, who was the driving force of the team in the previous matches, was a big blow as the port city side failed to up their game in the attacking third following his departure. Rotkovic lacked support from the midfield and when he did get the ball, his lethargic movements failed to bring any result for his side. The closest he came to equalising was in the 71st minute when Arifur Rahman provided him with a cutback, but the Montenegrin forward failed to keep his shot on target from a one-on-one situation.

The Malaysian side, who were playing their first overseas international tournament, made a string of substitutions in an attempt to defend their lead and negotiated the rest of the match with little trouble.