Mohammedan Sporting Club Limited coach Saiful Bari Titu compared their Super Cup triumph to Denmark’s epic European Championship success in 1992 as they
beat Sheikh Russell 4-2 in the tie breaker in the final on Tuesday.
Denmark failed to qualify for the tournament but got a lifeline after Yugoslavia pulled out because of a breakup of warfare in the Eastern European country.
Denmark made the most of their chances to beat West Germany 2-0 in the final to inscribe a fairytale story, something which was similar to Mohammedan’s case in this tournament.
Eliminated in the semi-final of the Federation Cup and the Independence Cup and after finishing a lowly fifth in the top flight, Mohammedan had reasons
to believe that they went through another disappointing season before they reluctantly accepted the Super Cup invitation.
The club had to recall all the players, who gave their heart and soul in the field to make the unbelievable turn into a reality as Mohammedan became the unbeaten champions.
‘It is a great moment for me as I have been able to deliver a title to Mohammedan after a long time,’ said an ecstatic Saiful Bari Titu, who was later awarded as the coach of the tournament.
‘It is a victory for football as the two sides played neck and neck and the crowd witnessed some rich entertainment.
‘The secret to success was my players’ motivation. They were motivated as there was no foreign player allowed in the tournament.
‘It gave a kind of platform to the local players who might not have got the chance to play had the foreigners featured.
‘This is also a message for the team management to form a stronger team for the next season,’ said Titu.
Mohammedan custodian Mamun Khan, who received the player of the final award having saved two penalty shots, was also over the moon after the unexpected title.
‘It’s my first silverware in my career so I’m really happy,’ he said.
‘When the match went into spot-kicks, I was confident that I could block one or two shots. I did that and presented Mohammedan with a trophy after four years which is a great satisfaction.
Sheikh Russell coach Maruful Haque, who
guided his team to three titles this season, was
understandably disappointed as his side were denied an unprecedented quadruple.
‘Obviously it is very disappointing to lose the last title after winning three. We should have won. Defensive mistakes cost us the match,’ said Maruf.
‘We should not have conceded after going one up. I’m not naming any names, but the way the defenders let the ball through them was a crucial mistake,’ he said.
-With New Age input
