Inaugural Super Cup champions Mohammedan Sporting Club Limited will begin their third Super Cup campaign against Team BJMC on June 15 at the Bangabandhu National Stadium.
Mohammedan clinched the maiden title in 2009 and were the runners-up in the second edition two years ago so the Motijheel-based football powerhouse will presumably start the upcoming cash-rich tournament as one of the favourite contenders.
On the contrary, Team BJMC will participate in the Super Cup for the first time and the services team are confident about claiming a place in the grand final on June 25.
Mohammedan were the only side who initially disagreed to take part in the Super Cup but they later changed their decision and agreed to play in the tournament.
The Black-and-White outfit will target success in the Super Cup for the second time and erase the discontent of having failed to secure any silverware in domestic football since their Super Cup triumph four years ago.
Mohammedan coach Saiful Bari Titu is targeting the Super Cup as an opportunity to win at least a single crown this season.
‘The season did not culminate according to the status and stature of a club like Dhaka Mohammedan. We finished fifth in the league. Now, the proving ground has arrived and with the right mixture of youth and experience I think Mohammedan will win the title,’ he said.
‘The group is an even one and on a given day the team that plays well will win. We have a crisis of a class finisher and we struggled throughout the season and I think the crisis will still prevail in the Super Cup.’ ‘We are trying to find a good replacement for Osei Morison [the Ghanaian forward who scored the highest 11 goals in the Bangladesh Premier League]. We also have to set up a group of players who can replace the other foreigners,’ said Titu.
On the other hand, Team BJMC coach Zakaria Babu was also optimistic with his local players and they have set their preliminary goal – the last four.
‘We have been training hard since May 29 and we want to continue from where we left off in the BPL where we won three of the last four matches,’ said Babu.
‘Our players are eager to play in the final and win the last available silverware of the season. I can always rely on the local players,’ he added.
-With New Age input
