Abahani Limited roped in Brazilian trio Bruninho, Fernandes and Brandao as the new football season is set to kick off next week without promoted Gopalganj Sporting Club who withdrew from the top-tier competitions on the deadline day.
Bruno Goncalves Rocha, commonly known as Bruninho, is a right-footed 26-year old attacking midfielder who is likely to fill the vacancy left by the departure of his countryman Raphael Augusto.
The Sky Blues bolstered their defensive midfield with the signing of 28-year old Rio de Janeiro-born Jonathan da Silveira Fernandes while Washington Brandao dos Santos is a 33-year old striker.
Iranian center-back Milad Sheikh Soleimani, Grenadian winger Cornelius Stewart and Nigerian center-forward Emeka Ogbugh remained with the team from the AFC Cup playoff squad.
Among the notable local signings is national attacking midfielder Rabiul Hasan who shone brightly at Police FC last season and replaced Mohammad Sohel Rana after his move to Bashundhara Kings.
A lot of expectations have been put on Mohammad Ridoy after the midfielder lifted his level to a new height following outstanding performance with the national team in recent times.
Newly appointed head coach Diego Andres Cruciani is waiting for the visa to come back to Bangladesh and reunite with the Sky Blues after 16 years.
Premier League champions Bashundhara Kings kept their AFC Cup squad unchanged with regards to six foreign players for the 2023-24 domestic season.
The quota for the registration of overseas players increased to six but only five clubs including Mohammedan Sporting Club Limited, Sheikh Russel Krira Chakra and Police managed to take advantage of the new rule as Chittagong Abahani Ltd recruited only three while Brothers Union and Fortis FC brought in four each.
The last day of the players’ registration window was Wednesday when Gopalganj, who earned promotion after finishing third in the second-tier league last season, pulled out from all top-flight competitions due to financial limitation.
“We don’t have sufficient funds and infrastructure to compete in the top-tier. We need a home ground and a proper club tent first while continuing at the Championship League for a few more years,” said Gopalganj manager SM Mamun Or Rashid to Dhaka Tribune.
The deadline-day departure of Gopalganj has now become a matter for the football federation’s disciplinary committee who could penalize the club for the withdrawal despite making entry, said a BFF source.
In the past, Cox’s City and Fakirerpool Young Men’s Club also withdrew their names from the professional league after promotion but they did it before the entry and thus avoided the penalty.
After Gopalganj’s exit, 10 top-flight clubs will play directly in the season opening Independence Cup, scheduled to kick off on October 27, with three non-professional clubs out of four joining through the qualification round beginning Friday.
Most of the Premier League clubs started their preparation camp without the foreign recruits who are waiting for visa processing but Chittagong Abahani are yet to start training.
The Kings, BPL champions for record four times in a row, are once again going to be the top favorite not only because they have the best local and foreign players but also for staying active on the pitch due to their ongoing AFC Cup commitment.