Sheikh Russell KC will be looking for a good start when they make their debut in the AFC President’s Cup against last edition’s runners-up, KRL Football Club of Pakistan, at the Sugathadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka today. Russell earned the bragging rights to represent Bangladesh in the third-tier Asian club tournament after emerging as the champions of the Bangladesh Premier League last season.
Russell, a domestic treble winner in the last season, are now dreaming of reaching the final round of the tournament, a stage that no other Bangladeshi club have ever reached before, with Abahani falling in the group stages at least five occasions.
Russell, however, are not the same squad that enabled them of winning the treble as several players left in the close season transfer which was reflected in their performance this season.
They have already been dethroned in at least two tournaments and it is only a matter of time for them to relinquish the league title having languished at the sixth position of the table.
In a desperate move to change the fate the club, they dismissed their treble winning coach Maruful Haque and replaced him with Montenegrin Dragan Djukanovic.
‘Our aim is to go beyond the group phase but we are now focused on the first match against KRL FC,’ Dragan said at the pre-tournament briefing in Colombo on Tuesday.
‘Next round will be all but confirmed if we can win our first match, which is really important for us,’ said Dragan according to message received here.
Russell, who are struggling in the absence of a genuine in form striker, received a further blow as Mithun Chowdhury suffered an ankle injury, leaving him uncertain against KRL.
‘We are not thinking much about the opponents and their strength. Rather, we are preparing to give our best to make a good start,’ said captain Biplob Bhattacharjee.
KRL FC coach Tariq Lutfi was optimistic about the chances of his charges but he was left to fill the void created by absence of his two regular midfielders, who have joined the national team to play a friendly match against Palestine.
‘The boys are fully motivated to meet the challenges and are here to qualify for the next round,’ said Lutfi.
Echoing the sentiment of his coach, captain Kamran Khan said that they would give their hundred per cent to beat Russell.
-With New Age input
