Tibet Federation Cup Football Tournament 2005
Reds defend crown today
Abahani MSC tie shifted
Sports Reporter
Three-time champions Muktijoddha Sangsad will renew their now established rivalry against Brothers Union today as they try to defend their Federation Cup crown.The Reds are eyeing their second trophy inside three weeks after lifting the Independence Day Gold Cup with a 2-0 win over Brothers in the season's opening tournament. The final game will kick off at 5pm at the Bangabandhu National Stadium but before that, there limping giants Abahani and Mohammedan battle for third place at the same venue at 3pm. Both the matches will be telecast live by the state-run Bangladesh Television (BTV). The third place decider was scheduled for yesterday but the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) surprisingly delayed the match by a day much to the frustration of a good number of fans who found the gates locked when they turned up in the afternoon. It was learnt that the popular clubs were reluctant to play the 'insignificant' match but the BFF managed to coax the two sides into taking the field today. In a break from tradition, the BFF also announced that both matches will roll into tiebreakers straight away if the scheduled 90 minutes did not produce results. Muktijoddha and Brothers meanwhile, were keen to win the trophy to confirm their participation in next year's AFC Cup. "I think the competition for AFC Cup spot has added a new dimension to our aspirations," said Muktijoddha coach Shafiqul Islam Manik Manik, whose side has appeared in five Federation Cup finals out of the last six. Manik will miss striker Saiful Islam Moni, who scored the all-important goal against Mohammedan in their 1-0 semifinal victory. Moni left the ground immediately after scoring the winner as he tore a ligament in his right knee. Manik's counterpart Wajed Gazi also said that qualification in the AFC Cup was very much on their minds. Brothers were joint champions in the inaugural Federation Cup way back in 1980 and lifted the title in 1991, the last time they appeared in the final. Gazi was excited with the return of striker Saiful Islam Khokon, who served a one-match suspension in the semis. "We felt his absence in that game. I think Edward will also find his rhythm back beside his regular partner."
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