A confident Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club side will face East Bengal F.C – the most successful Indian club in history – today at Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata for a spot in the final of the 119th IFA Shield. The Dhanmondi-based club made it to today’s semi-final after beating Sikkim United and Kolkata powerhouse Mohunbagan F.C in their last two group B matches after a 2-1 loss to Kolkata Mohammedan in the first match.
Last year’s runners-up East Bengal have won the IFA Shield 30 times in the past and will be trying to make it to their third consecutive final, but Sheikh Jamal are looking to make history as the first ever Bangladeshi club to make the final of the prestigious competition.
Sheikh Jamal’s will be hoping for another strong showing from playmaker Sony Norde, who received accolades for his sharp movement and scoring ability in the previous matches.
Nigerian coach Josheph Afusi will also be pleased that the other two members of his attacking trio – Haitian Wedson Anselme and Nigerian Ameka Darlington – have also maintained their scoring touch in this tournament.
East Bengal beat Singaporean side Geylang International and United SC, and drew with Korean side Sunmoon University to secure their semi-final place as group A champions.
The side features a striker whom many of the Bangladeshi players will be familiar with in Sudan’s James Moga, who started his South Asian career in Dhaka for Muktijoddha Sangsad in 2011.
Moga has scored five goals in his eight appearances in the Calcutta league and has continued to fire in this competition, scoring two goals in the three group matches. His Nigerian strike partner Chidi has also scored once, helping the local giants stay unbeaten.
However, Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club president Monjur Kader, who is acting as the shadow manager of the team in India, did not want to worry too much about the strength of their opponents.
‘Our players are mentally charged up after a historic victory over Mohunbagan and they are fully ready to face another Kolkata giant East Bengal,’ Kader said via phone call from Kolkata.
‘They [East Bengal] may have a glorious history, but on the field we only think about how to beat them and I am hopeful that if our players play their normal game then we will make history,’ he added.
The match will start at 3:10pm Bangladesh Standard Time and the match will be televised live on Jalsha Movies.
-With New Age input
