Mohammedan Sporting Club are looking forward to bolster their squad for the upcoming season by recruiting foreign stars from the recently concluded Saff Championship held in Nepal. The Motijheel based club, who finished fifth in the Bangladesh Premier League last season, started their pre-season training yesterday.
It was learnt that the Black and Whites are planning to bring in few attacking players from Saff champions Afghanistan and Nepal who caught everyone’s attention with their smooth performance.
European based Afghan players like Belal Arezou, Mostafa Azadjoy and Sanzar Ahmedi are on the Mohammedan wish list while Nepalese players like Jumanu Rai, Anil Gurung and Bhola Silwal are also in consideration, informed the source.
Afghan cricketer Mohammed Nabi, who is playing for Mohammedan cricket team in the ongoing Dhaka Premier League, is negotiating the deal with the club on behalf of his country’s footballers.
Manjurul Alam, chairman of Mohammedan football committee confirmed their interest, but he denied revealing any name. “We have not yet finalised anything about foreign recruits. The Africans are in consideration, even though we have an eye on players from South Asia who performed well in the Saff Championship.
“They are proven players and we have seen them in the Saff Championship while the African players will have to go through trial to impress us,” he added.
However, Manjurul is hopeful of taking four national players Zahid, Mamun Mia, Nahid and Shakil in the team who allegedly took advanced money to play for Mohammedan. “We are waiting for a decision from the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) for the four players who have been alleged. We are hopeful that those players will play for us,” he said.
Meanwhile, Abahani, who started their pre-season training on September 15, are bringing in six African players for trial at the end of the month. Abahani already confirmed the signing of Osei Morison, the Ghanaian striker who was the top scorer in the last season of the BPL, from their arch-rival Mohammedan’s camp.
“Six more foreigners from Morocco and Nigeria are expected to arrive by the end of this month. Two of them have demanded for monthly salary of more than seven thousand dollars a month. We are still considering these proposals as we are keen on foreign recruits,” said Abahani manager Satyajit Das Rupu yesterday.
Abahani, who were trophy less last season, are searching for better options than they already have for last few years like Awudu Ibrahim and Samad Yusuf.
“We are looking for some quality foreigners, but we have not said no to the previous ones. After observing the new comers, we will decide whether we will keep them (old recruits) or not,” added Rupu.
“We are also trying to appoint a foreign coach for the next season as two British coaches and a Dutch and an Australian coach are on the pipeline. Hopefully we will recruit one of them within the first week of October,” he informed.
