Fakirerpool mulling all-local squad

After having won the Bangladesh Championship League, Fakirerpool Youngmen's Club are planning to compete in the Bangladesh Premier League without any foreign player in a bid to accommodate more local players as well as bring back its name as the 'breeding ground of star footballers'.

At the pre-league briefing three months ago, Youngmen's Club were the only team that promised to display quality football rather than overtly expressing desire of clinching the title of the second-tier professional league. But three months on that low-budget team from Fakirerpool have put behind all the other clubs with high ambitions to emerge champions and return to top-flight football after a long time.

“Though we have just completed the championship league, the premier league is on our mind and we want to stay there for long. We are thinking of taking part in the premier league without foreign players in a bid to give more space to the local players as we are determined to bring back our past glory of producing players for the national team,” said club's general secretary Sabbir Hossain.

“Playing without foreign players is my initial idea and I will discuss it with other club officials soon so that we can take a decision before the start of the players' transfer,” said Sabbir, who was yesterday busy clearing dues of players, who are leaving the club one after another.

Youngmen's Club once produced national players like Hasan Al Mamun, Nurul Haq Manik, Amin Rana, Sohel Al Masum, Askar Babu, Dhonu, Poniruzzaman, Golam Rabbani Choton, Mohammad Robin. The club even produced some of the current national players like Wahed Ahmed, Rezaul Karim, Shahedul Alam Jr, but over the last one decade the glory was lost as the club was embroiled in some internal problems. However, the club seems to have revitalised itself after the new committee took over a few months ago.

Coach Mahidur Rahman Miraz is backing the club officials' idea of playing the top league without any foreign players.

“It is true that foreign players make a difference in the premier league matches, but that mostly happens for teams who are involved in title race. For other clubs, the foreign players have virtually no impact due to the big difference in the quality of foreign recruits of top clubs and the mid-and-low level clubs. I think local players are not lower in quality compared to those sub-standard foreign players,” said Miraz, who is supposed to stay with the club in its debut season in the Bangladesh Premier League.

Miraz believes that they have succeeded in the championship league due to good management, strong discipline, long selection procedure, continuation of training and efforts from the players.

The coach also earmarked a couple of his players including striker Mohammad Jewel and defender Rahmat who he thinks are talented enough to get the nod of the national team in near future.