'Runners-up trophies do not go with the name of Mohammedan'

Mohammedan Sporting Club finished the season as runners-up in the Bangladesh Premier League for the first time in 14 years after finishing runners-up in two club competitions. Alfaz Ahmed, the man behind the resurgence of the Motijheel outfit, spoke with The Daily Star's Anisur Rahman about the process of rebuilding Mohammedan and many other aspects. The excerpts of the interview are as follows:

The Daily Star (DS): Mohammedan clinched three runners-up trophies in three competitions. Many say it is big achievements for the Black and Whites. What is your take?

Alfaz Ahmed (AA): Actually, runners-up trophies do not go with the name of Mohammedan. However, these achievements are big for Mohammedan in the context that the club has been in a rebuilding phase after a long hibernation. My target was to win at least one tournament and finish second or third in the league. We could have won the Independence Cup had we got the full team at our disposal.

DS: How will these three runners-up trophies help Mohammedan?

AA: I think these achievements will motivate the players greatly. The players will start believing that they can become champions as they went very close to becoming champions. If the players can possess championship mentality and we can hold these players next season, I think we can stay in the wave that started bringing back the glorious past of the club.

DS: What is the secret behind the resurgence?

AA: Actually these players have been together for three years, thanks to manager Imtiaz Ahmed Nakib. Coaching staff including (Sayeed Hasan) Kanon bhai and (Abdul Kaiyum) Sentu also worked tremendously hard. Former coach Sean Lane had laid the foundation three years ago and I have been carrying it forward.

DS: What changes did you bring to the players' approach?

AA: Following the success in the Federation Cup last season, the trust, experience and expectation of the players increased. I think this season's successes are the outcome of last season's Federation Cup victory.

DS: Are you confident you can retain these players?

AA: The club management is pleased with the performance of the club and they are trying to keep this squad intact. Nakib has been asked to start the procedure to form the squad for the next season. And I am continuing with the club.

DS: How would you evaluate the role of the club management, which once struggled to provide even monthly salaries to the players?

AA: Of course, the club management played a big role behind the successes because the players won't perform if they are not paid. I want to mention two persons – president Abdul Mubeen and football committee chairman Ghulam Mohammed Alomgir as they cleared payments regularly.

DS: How would you evaluate the league in general? 

AA: Bashundhara Kings dominated the league while Mohammedan gave them some tough time but the other teams could not perform well. There was a shortage of competition in the title race but the relegation fight was competitive.

DS: Why do you think other clubs can't compete with Bashundhara Kings?

AA: Kings' four quality foreign players are making difference. No other club have such quality players in their ranks. Mohammedan have Souleymane Diabate, who can be compared with them. So, the difference of foreign players is huge. If someone wants to break Kings' dominance, they have to break Kings squad by roping in some players from Kings because Kings every season picks up the promising players of other clubs.

DS: There was much discussion about the refereeing, especially before the final of the Federation Cup. How do you see the overall standard of the referees in just concluded season?

AA:  Everyone knows that only Mohammedan brought objections against five referees but no one knows that Bashundhara Kings also had objections against four referees before us. We actually asked the federation not to appoint those five referees who usually conducted the matches of Kings. As far as I know, Kings always placed a list of referees not to appoint them in every match and we did it only in the Federation Cup final. I think the referees have no freedom here. It seemed to me that Kings' players were miles ahead of other clubs to always argue with referees, pushing them, blaming them during their matches. Miguel (Ferreira) pushed the referees at least 10 times but they did not have courage to book him.