Last season’s runners-up Mohammedan stumbled to a 1-0 defeat against Rahmatganj MFS in Dhaka, while 12-time champions Abahani showcased their dominance in a commanding 3-0 victory over Chittagong Abahani in Cumilla.
Mohammedan Sporting Club finished the season as runners-up in the Bangladesh Premier League for the first time in 14 years after finishing runners-up in two club competitions. Alfaz Ahmed, the man behind the resurgence of the Motijheel outfit, spoke with The Daily Star's Anisur Rahman about the process of rebuilding Mohammedan and many other aspects.
Jahid first-ever goal in top flight became a memorable one.
Bashundhara Kings and their loyal band of travelling fans were ecstatic at the Rafique Uddin Bhuiyan Stadium in Mymensingh yesterday as the club added the Federation Cup to the Independence Cup and the Bangladesh Premier League following a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Mohammedan Sporting Club.
Favourites Bashundhara Kings will look to add a new feather to their burgeoning cap when they take on defending champions Mohammedan in the final of the Federation Cup at the Rafique Uddin Bhuiyan Stadium in Mymensingh today.
Bangladesh Premier League football champions Bashundhara Kings will take on Mohammedan in the final of the Federation Cup in Mymensingh today, while in Dublin, German champions Bayer Leverkusen will face Atalanta in the grand finale of the UEFA Europa League.
Kings are now aiming to win a treble -- a feat only achieved by Sheikh Russell in the 2012-13 season.
Defending champions Mohammedan came from behind to confirm their final berth in the Federation Cup with a 2-1 win over Bangladesh Police FC in the first semifinal at the Shaheed Birshreshtha Flight Lt Matiur Rahman Stadium in Munshiganj on Tuesday.
Hot favourites Bashundhara Kings survived a scare to move into the semifinals of Federation Cup with a 2-0 win over Rahmatganj MFS in the second quarterfinal in Gopalganj on Tuesday.
Having beaten arch-rivals and defending champions Abahani 4-2 in a penalty shootout in the pulsating Federation Cup final in Cumilla on Tuesday, Mohammedan Sporting Club head coach Alfaz Ahmed praised his charges for putting up their utmost effort to win the first Federation Cup trophy in 14 years.
This is the first Federation Cup final between the two traditional powerhouses of the country's football in 14 years, and the first final appearance for Mohammedan in any tournament in nine years. Hence there is a lot of excitement among fans of both clubs with an expectation of a memorable final
For over a decade, numerous clashes between Mohammedan and Abahani, which once attracted thousands and brought out the best of a fierce rivalry, have been held almost silently in front of nearly deserted stands. But today's Federation Cup final between the country's most crowd-pulling outfits has suddenly turned up the heat in the country's football fraternity.
The two sides met later twice in cup finals during the 2009 Super Cup and 2011 Super Cup, with the Black and Whites winning the former and the Sky Blues having the last laugh two years later.
The May 30 final will be the first cup final between the country’s two most popular football clubs in 12 years. The last time these two teams met in a final was in the 2011 Super Cup, where Abahani came out victorious.
Mohammedan Sporting Club stunned Bashundhara Kings 2-1 in the first semifinal to reach the final of the Federation Cup for the first time in 14 years on Tuesday.
The Federation Cup, Bangladesh's premier cup competition, on Tuesday will usher into a new system that will see the tournament run for nearly seven months into the footballing season, unlike previous editions which ran for three-four weeks.
Established giants Abahani denied newcomers Bashundhara Kings history by sealing their hattrick title of the Federation Cup with a come-from-behind 3-1 win in an eventful final at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.
