Mohammedan enliven final day of registration

While most Bangladesh Premier League clubs sent over their documents to the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) officials, falling giants Mohammedan turned up to the BFF headquarters with all their players to complete formalities on the final day of players' registration yesterday.

There were no surprises in the month-long players' transfer window, with teams retaining most of their players from the previous season, which was cancelled due to Covid-19.

However, the Black and White went a different direction and sought blessings from former players and honoured them at the club premises before going to the BFF headquarters.

The club management also invited late Mohammedan great Badal Roy's wife, daughter and son. They were joined by club legends like Jakaria Pintu, Pratap Sankar Hazra, Imtiaz Sultan Jonny, Rummon Bin Wali Sabiir, Kaiser Hamid, Riaz, Kanon, Ata, Gorgy and many others to inspire a new generation of players. 

Mohammedan, whose biggest regret is not winning the professional football league since its introduction in 2007, have retained the services of old guns and strengthened their squad with eight new local players and two new foreign players from Nigeria and Burkina Faso. They retained Japanese midfielder Uryu Nagata and Malian striker Souleymane Diabate.

"Most of the eight new signing players are young. They signed one or two years for a professional team and maybe one or two will play in the regular eleven. I have different types of players this time," Mohammedan coach Sean Lane said after completing the registration formalities.

The Brit added: "I think the biggest difference will be the local players who understand what I want. I think my foreign players will also be good. One of the foreign players [Nigeria's Abiola Nurat] has been training under my assistant, Jean Maclin, in Vietnam for the past six months. I think he will be able to reach his level and the difficult thing is to ensure he plays the way I want to play and settles into Bangladesh."

Lane came to Bangladesh to take charge of Mohammedan in the middle of the 2018-19 season and saved the Black and Whites from relegation. He then took them to the semifinals of last season's Federation Cup. This time around, he wants to finish in the top four in the Bangladesh Premier League.  

"Bashundhara Kings, Abahani, Chattogram Abahani and Sheikh Russel have spent a lot of money, so If I want to surpass any of those clubs and finish among the top four, it will be a massive achievement," said Lane. "In the Federation Cup, I first want to get out of the group and then anything can happen in the knockout stages. I think we can beat any team on any day."

Chattogram Abahani completed their registration formalities and retained most of last season's local and foreign players, but Sheikh Russel made changes to their foreign quota by signing foreigners who have experience in Bangladesh.

Saif SC also completed their players' registration formalities, retaining most of their squad -- which has an average age of just 22. Belgian coach Paul Put can also field four new foreign players from Nigeria and Uzbekistan.

All 13 teams registered for the upcoming season, including Muktijodhha Sangsad -- who completed the procedures despite a financial crisis.