National Football League final

[jonny]

Nitol-Tata National Football League
Divine blessings for Mohammedan
Blank Abahani 2-0 to lift National League crown
Sports Reporter

Mohammedan Sporting Club became the first team to lift the National League trophy for a second time when the Black and Whites blanked archrivals Abahani 2-0 in the final of the Nitol-Tata Fifth National Football League yesterday.

Skipper Alfaz Ahmed set the first goal for Divine Chibiuka in the 48th minute before scoring the second at the stroke of the final whistle as Mohammedan not only regained the title after two seasons but also booked a place in Asia's club competition AFC Cup.


About 25,000 fans gathered at the Bangabandhu National Stadium to see the first final between the country's most celebrated teams in three years but under pressure to produce a title following seasons of failure, both the sides began shakily.


And it was the in-form Abahani, unbeaten for 18 matches, who showed their nerves at the back. Centre-backs Pradeep and Marshall fumbled time and again under constant Mohammedan onslaught and goalkeeper Nizam had to rush and handle the ball out of his area in the 14th minute to stop an attack.


Just like the sky-blues, who did not have their semifinal hero Abdullah Parvez -- suspended for two bookings -- in the lineup, Mohammedan were without key midfielder Emeka, the injured Nigerian who slotted their all-important goal in the semifinal against Brothers Union.


But Mohammedan made up for Emeka's absence by packing their midfield with five matured men, who effectively neutralised Abahani playmakers Ndem and Egir Mohammed and launched quick counter attacks to kill the game. However, the champions -- who also maintained a tight defence -- were fortunate as referee Mansoor Azad ignored a series of fouls including an appeal for penalty when Abahani striker Farhad was tripped inside the box by Nazrul ten minutes before halftime.


The first real chance fell to Egir but the Moroccan's weak header on a centre by Farhad went straight to goalkeeper Biplab in the 17th minute.

Two minutes later, Nizam tipped over a dangerously dipping Alfaz cross out of his goal before midfielder Divine shot Munna's perfect centre just over from close.


Abahani should have taken the lead on the half-hour but Ndem, adjudged player of the tournament, rattled the sidebar after being picked by Egir's overhead pass.


Abahani substituted half-fit fullback Wali Faisal at the break and his replacement Lajuk's gaffe gave away Alfaz open space at the right three minutes into the second half. The veteran national striker chipped the ball near from the corner-flag and man-of-the-match Divine leaped in the air to shrug off challenges from Obaidur and Pradeep to nod home.


While all the foreign recruits had an off-day, Egir kept Abahani alive but his spectacular sidevolley on a centre by Obaidur was parried for a corner by an equally brilliant Biplab at the Mohammedan goal.


Two minutes later, the sky-blue booters appealed in vain again as Mohammedan defender Rezaul handled the ball inside the box while trying to clear a cross by Egir.


The last 15 minutes belonged to Mohammedan when they split the rival defence with aerial passes but Francis, chasing a high ball by Arman Aziz, failed to beat Nizam on one-on-one in the 88th minute.


The Abahani keeper once again pulled off a superb save, denying Nigerian striker Francis's shot from top-of-the-box after Hassan set him up with a long ball. However, the partial clearance was not enough as an onrushing Alfaz tapped the ball into an open net to spark wild celebrations seconds on the stroke of the final whistle.


For Mohammedan, whose first meeting against Abahani this season turned out to a nightmare 5-1 defeat, it was the first victory against their perennial foes in two years.


President Dr Professor Iajuddin Ahmed distributed trophies after the final as chief guest.


Mohammedan received Tk 5 lakh as winners and a Tata Indika sedan car while Abahani pocketed Tk 3 lakh.


Cameroonian Ndem Kiyek received Tk 50,000 and a scooter as player of the tournament while the Fair Play trophy went to debutants Samabesh Club of Munshiganj. Muktijoddha's Odafa Okelo got Tk 25,000 as top scorer with seven goals.


Yellow cards: Divine, Kamal (Mohammedan) and Nizam, Marshall, Egir (Abahani).


TEAMS
MOHAMMEDAN: Biplab, Kamal, Odaf, Nazrul, Hassan, Munna, Arman Aziz, Divine, Francis (Asad, 90th minute) and Alfaz.


ABAHANI: Nizam, Obaidur, Pradeep, Marshall, Wali (Lajuk, 46th), Ndem, Joy, Egir, Ujjal (Tipu, 75th), Farhad and Ibrahim.


Referee: Mansoor Azad.


http://www.thedailystar.net/2006/01/09/d60109040131.htm

[naheyan]

did u ppl notice smthng during the second goal.......after the abhani goal keeper saved the ball....pradip, instead of clearing it went on to argue wid another defender completely ignoring alfaz's presence......lolz..these guys r funny........

who was the man of the match?.ALFAZ?

[guy_zin]

Originally posted by naheyan
pradip, instead of clearing it went on to argue wid another defender completely ignoring alfaz's presence...

as per 2day's daily star news the abahani captain, coach & manager also indicated something foul behind the scene...

quoting two news here..

Joy smells rat

Abahani skipper Arif Khan Joy alleged yesterday after his side's loss to Mohammedan Sporting Club in the National Football League final that their foreign booters were involved in match-fixing.
"Our foreign booters were bribed to throw away the match. Felix Chimawoku, who plays for Brothers Union, was the courier," said the national captain.

"Their today's low-key performance is a proof of that," added Joy.

However, Abahani's Moroccan midfielder Egir Mohammed denied the allegations.

"People has seen how we played today. I think Joy is trying to make us scapegoats for his failure. He has not played well," said Egir pointing a finger at the sky-blues captain.

&

'Abahani harshly treated'
...
The whole team were kept waiting at the stadium entrance for half an hour by the security forces and Abahani manager Satyajit Das Rupu complained that it was 'intentional'.

"Everybody has seen what happened today. A quarter tried to create pressure upon us from the beginning and we were intentionally delayed at the gate," an angry Rupu said after the final.

"Mohammedan players were not even checked but we were treated by the security officials like unwanted guests," he added.

There were also allegations that a member of the security force at the gate held one Abahani player at gunpoint.

Abahani captain Joy was naturally upset and said that Abahani's foreign booters were hopeless despite their good work early in the competition.

Veteran coach Amlesh Sen blasted the referees.
"The assistant referee was not even in position when we conceded the second goal. Divine was clearly offside. Also, they denied us from two penalties. Farhad was fouled in the first half in the penalty area and (Mansoor) Azad ignored a second-half handball," said the former national midfielder.

"Both teams played in similar pace but every time we were attacking, their players committed fouls to stop them. We did not get those freekicks from the ignorant referee.

"I admit that our defence had lacks today but my players were under pressure for off-the-field incidents before the start of the game."

When asked why Abahani could not play their natural game, he said that being conservative in final matches is not new. "I did not get the service from my foreigners in this particular game. Ibrahim (of Ghana) creates 75 per cent of our goals. But today, he did not release the ball at all."


Amid all this episodes,At the end of the day it was Mohamedan who deservedly won the match by the sheer match reading capability of their coach manik who made the players implement his tactics well & good thrashing Abahani's complacency for the time being.

[mshakir56]

Good Job Mohamedan.