Four-time champion and veritable football giant Abahani completed their player registration for the upcoming season yesterday by managing to retain the services of most of last season’s regular players.
On paper though, the defending champions still look short in strength, after they lost key national players like Nasirul Islam, Linkon, Mamun Mia and Zahid Hasan along with national discard Imtiaz Sultan Jitu and Mohammad Robin. Most of the players joined either the big-budgeted Sheikh Russel KC or archrivals Mohammedan.
Most of their replacements are not well-known faces, with national players Atiqur Rahman Meshu and Abdul Baten Komol the notable exceptions. Despite the lack of star quality, Abahani football manager Satyajit Das Rupu believed that they have roped in the right replacements and now the onus is on those players to prove themselves on the pitch.
“To keep our reputation intact as well as to defend the professional league title, we have formed a strong team this time too,” said Rupu during the players’ registration formalities at the Bangladesh Football Federation where some hundred Abahani supporters accompanied the players.
“Look at the last five seasons, we always tried to maintain our base after retaining the service of most of the old guys and it is a tradition that some players will leave each season and some will fill that vacuum,” said Rupu. “I think our strength remains same like last season and the players will have to prove themselves on the pitch.”
On paper, the departure of three defenders looks likely to harm Abahani the most. They have managed to retain the services of Mohammad Sujan and Wali Faisal and Rupu was adamant that there would be little or no impact since those who had left were not regular starters in any case.
While title contenders Sheikh Russel and re-organised Sheikh Jamal DC almost ensured their foreign players ahead of the season curtain-raising Federation Cup, Abahani are still waiting on the arrival of the old guns like Ghanaian Awudu Ibrahim, Twum Frank, Samad Yousuf and Nigerian Lucky Paul and Yoko Samnick following a visa crisis.
“We hope five foreign players will join the squad before our first match of Federation Cup on September 8,” said Rupu. “One Brazilian player has already reached, another Brazilian is trying to collect visa. Two more Russian players are supposed to arrive before the start of the professional football league.”
Squad: Shahidul Alam Sohel, Mazharul Islam Himel Uttam Barua (goalkeepers) Mohammad Shujon, Waly Faisal, Kazi Nazrul Islam, Abdul Hamid Khan Vasani, Atiqur Rahman Meshu, Mohiuddin Ibnul Siraji, Sahwkat Russell (defenders), Pranotosh Kumar Das, Abdul Baten Komol, Arman Aziz, Choumrin Rakhain, Shahedul Alam Shahed, Shaikat Bhowmik (midfielders), Shakahwat Hosian Rony, Enamul Haque and Towhidul Alam (strikers).
-With The Daily Star input
