The Federation Cup final, which pitted two shrewd tacticians against each other at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on Friday, lived up to its billing as an intense encounter.
Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club’s Nigerian coach Joseph Afusi and Muktijoddha Sangsad KC coach Shafiqul Islam Manik were tasked with the responsibility of winning the season’s first silverware for their respective clubs.
With nine and seven goals scored in the tournament by Sheikh Jamal and Muktijoddha respectively, it was left to the two coaches to devise a strategy that would separate the two free-scoring sides.
And after a see-saw battle which nearly went into extra-time, it was Joseph Afusi who had the last laugh, thanks to Sheikh Jamal defender Nasir Chowdhury’s brilliant header from Haitian playmaker Sony Norde’s curling corner in the 82nd minute.
Shafiqul Islam Manik, on the other hand, will be disappointed that his plans nearly came to fruition were it not for the set-piece goal which created the difference as his side, without a single national footballer, played admirably and frustrated their more illustrious opponents for long periods of the game.
At the end of the day though Sheikh Jamal will be happier of the two sides after the 1-0 win enabled the Dhanmondi-based club to lift their first silverware of the season after several narrow misses in different competitions last season.
‘We are the deserved winners. I always said that it will be tough and I expected a close match but we were always focussed on winning the title,’ said Afusi after the end of the final.
‘[Shafiqul Islam] Manik is a good coach with good tactics and he read our strategy well. Our first mission of winning the Federation Cup is accomplished. Now it’s time to look forward to the league,’ the Nigerian coach added.
Manik, on the other hand, rued bad luck.
‘My overall assessment is that it [the goal] was sheer bad luck. We came second due to a simple mistake which proved to be costly at the end,’ said Manik.
‘We were not outplayed as we created some chances but we could not utilise them. I am a little distraught, more so with my forward line. We have lost the title but Muktijoddha showed they are a good team,’ added the veteran coach.
Meanwhile, goalscorer Nasir was visibly elated after grabbing the all-important goal eight minutes from time.
‘Despite having so many players in our side who are well capable of scoring, I was the one who scored. Therefore, the goal is really valuable to me,’ said Nasir.
-With New Age input
