Six new faces will arrive in Dhaka in the last week of this month for trials with Abahani Limited while Mohammedan Sporting Club have set their sights on sub-continental players as the local giants are gearing up for the upcoming football season. Both Abahani and Mohammedan have placed their priority on recruiting quality foreign players as the duo largely failed to attract quality additions to their squads last season.
To compete alongside the likes of powerhouse Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club and treble winners Sheikh Russell, the traditional arch-rivals desperately yearn to string together a strong side with quality foreign players.
Abahani have already confirmed the services of Awudu Ibrahim, Samad Eusuf and Ghanaian marksman Osei Morison, who was the leading scorer in the domestic football league last season.
‘We are searching for some quality foreigners but we have not yet turned our back on the previous players. After observing the new faces we will decide whether we will call them [old recruits] or not,’ said Satyajit Das Rupu, manager of Abahani on Saturday.
‘We are also trying to appoint a foreign coach for next season as two British coaches and a Dutch and an Australian coach are already in our thoughts. Hopefully we will recruit one of them within the first week of October,’ he added.
Meanwhile, a top MSC official said on the condition of anonymity on Saturday that the Motijheel-based outfit are mulling over whether to bring some players from Afghanistan and Nepal.
Afghan all-rounder Mohammad Nabi, who is playing for the Mohammedan cricket team in the ongoing Dhaka Premier League, is said to be acting as the third-party negotiator between Mohammedan and some Afghan footballers.
The official informed that the Black-and-White outfit are interested in bringing three Europe-based attacking players – Belal Arezou, Mostafa Azadjoy and Sanzar Ahmedi for next season.
Mohammedan are also thinking about recruiting some Nepalese players like Bharat Khawas, Jumanu Rai, Anil Gurung and Bholanath.
‘We prefer the sub-continental players to the African ones as the sub-continental players have already proved themselves in the recently-concluded SAFF Championship. But the Africans have to go for trials before we choose them,’ said the MSC official who wished not to be named.
Monzurul Alam, chairman of the football committee of Mohammedan echoed the same sentiment.
‘We are yet to finalise the list of foreign players. The Africans are under consideration but we have plans to bring some other players who have performed well in the SAFF Championship,’ said Monzurul adding that, ‘they [sub-continental players] are proven and we have watched them play in the SAFF tournament.’
Mohammedan started their pre-season training camp from Saturday while Abahani began their pre-season preparations from September 15.
Sheikh Jamal are the other side to have started their camp. The Dhanmondi-based outfit began their camp from the middle of last month.
Abahani conceded the title of top flight champions to Sheikh Russell Krira Chakra, who claimed the domestic football league to go with the Federation and Independence Cup they won last season.
Mohammedan on the other hand were comparatively successful having managed the cash-rich Super Cup title.
-With New Age input
