Mohammedan Sporting Club (MSC) continued to impress in the age-level tournaments as the Black and Whites this time clinched the inaugural edition of the Under-18 Football Tournament. Last year the Motijheel based club bagged the first ever U-16 football tournament and on both occasions the architect behind the success was Kazi Joshimuddin Joshi.
The former MSC player Joshi, who has a AFC A license, was adjudged as the best coach of the tournament and was in tears after his young guns netted to second goal in the injury time to seal the glory.
He revealed the reason behind the success and how he motivated the young booters to win the title. “I told my boys to love their jersey and to perform in a way that will entertain the crowd. They implemented my instructions and that won us the trophy. It is like a family. All the players have been disciplined and motivated from the beginning of the camp. It’s a great initiative but one month is not enough and they need to play more. It should be regular and played in league system,” he said. Two names stood out in the entire journey – Bodrul Hasan Tutul and Akash Saha – and Joshi believes they have the potential to make it into the big league.
Captain of the side Tutul scored two goals and assisted two throughout the tournament including one in the final while defender Akash Saha staged a sparkling display to bag the best player of the tournament award. Tutul initially emerged from the Pabna district football league as Mahbub Hossain Roxy scouted him to Joshi. After the end of the U-16 football tournament, he came under the nursing of Joshi besides training at the Khilgaon academy. “I’m very happy to become the best player of the final among 22 players on the pitch. All credits go to Joshi bhai who wanted us to win it and I gave my best to the team,” said the attacking midfielder who dreams to wear the national team jersey one day and targets a place in the MSC senior team next.