With a mesmerizing opening ceremony and a match between former champions, Sheikh Kamal International Club Cup kicked off at the MA Aziz Stadium in Chattogram on Saturday.
Chattogram Abahani Ltd organises the tournament on regular basis since 2015 in memory of Sheikh Kamal, the eldest son of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
In the opening match of the tournament, defending champions TC Sports Club of Maldives locked horns with first edition winners Chattogram Abahani. Before the match kicked off, a short opening ceremony was held, where Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud was present as the chief guest.
In this third edition of the Sheikh Kamal International Club Cup, the only international club competition hosted by the country, a number of eight clubs from the top-flight leagues from five countries – India, Maldives, Malaysia, Laos and Bangladesh – are participating.
Abahani’s withdrawal was thought to have dented interest in the tournament, but the other participating teams feel that this edition will be the most competitive of the three editions. Gokulam Kerala FC from the Indian League would fill Abahani’s void.
I-League champion Chennai City FC are scheduled to arrive Chattogram today while the remaining six clubs – Bangladesh Premier League champion Bashundhara Kings, Kolkata giant Mohun Bagan, Malaysia Cup winner Terengganu FC and Laos League club Young Elephants – have already arrived in the port city. Meanwhile, Kolkata’s Mohun Bagan Club will play Young Elephants FC of Laos at 7pm at the same venue today.
In the tournament, the teams are divided in two groups. Group A featuring Chattogram Abahani and TC Sports Club, is believed to be comparatively easier of the two groups, with Mohun Bagan and Young Elephants being the other two teams. Group B features Bashundhara Kings, Chennai City FC, Terengganu FC and Gokulam Kerala, which is likely to be more competitive.
Two teams will qualify from each group and the two semi-finals will be held on October 27 and 28 while the final is scheduled for October 30. Each team will get $ 10,000 as participation money while the champions will be awarded $ 50,000 and the runners-up $ 25,000. Overall, the tournament committee is doing everything to maintain an international standard.
Some elite players from the six teams will be the ones to watch out for in this tournament. For Chattogram Abahani, Jamal Bhuiyan and Ghana’s Prince Tagoe will be their key players. Other players like Daniel Colindres of Bashundhara Kings, Andrew Lee Tuck of Terengganu FC, Pedro Manzi of Chennai City FC and Daniel Cyrus of Mohun Bagan are the players who can set the tournament alive with their brilliant footballing display.