A 30-member football team of Dhaka Abahani will leave the city for Nepal this (Sunday) morning to compete in the Group E match of AFC Cup Football 2019, reports UNB.
The tournament will start on April 03 at the ANFA Complex in Kathmandu.
Earlier, the 6th time Premier League champions Dhaka Abahani Limited was put in Group E of the prestigious Asian Club meet along with Minerva Punjab (India), Manang Marshyangdi Club (Nepal) and Chennaiyin FC (India) to meet each other in home and away basis.
Dhaka Abahani played in different Asian tournaments 10 times including five times in the AFC Cup, but managed to reach the 2nd round of Asia Cup Winner Cup in 1998.
Bangladesh champions Dhaka Abahani will start their group campaign taking on Nepalese champions Manang Marshyangdi Club in the inaugural match on April 03 at 3 pm local time.
In a pre-match press conference at the BFF office, Abahani officials said on Saturday they want to play in the knock out stage of the tournament by winning the first match against their Nepalese opponent.
Captain Shahidul Alam Sohel said, "This time our team is stronger than previous occasions and we will try to play attack game by not conceding any goal."
Head of the delegation Harun-ur-Rashid, Manager Satyajit Das Rupu, Head Coach Mario Licinio Guerreiro Lemos, Coach SM Zakaria (Coach) and team captain cum custodian Shahidul Alam Sohel spoke on the occasion.
Dhaka Abahani will play their home match against Indian Minerva Punjab on April 17 at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in the city at 5:45 pm (local time), face Chennaiyin FC of India on April 30 in their home away match at Arena Stadium in Ahmedabad, India.
In the remaining group matches, Dhaka Abahani Limited will play two home matches against Chennaiyin FC on May 15 and Manang Marshyangdi Club of Nepal on June 19, both at Bangabandhu National Stadium and will play their last away match against Minerva Punjab of India on June 26 at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.
Footballers: Shahidul Alam Sohel, Nayeem Miah, Sultan Ahmed Shakil, (GK), Rayhan Hasan, Waly Faisal, Tutul Hossain Badsha, Mamun Miah (Defender), Jewel Rana, Atiqur Rahman Fahad, Imtiaz Sultan Jitu, Mamunul Islam Mamun, Sohel Rana, Pranotosh Kumar Das (Mid Field), Nabib Newaz Ziban, Rubel Miya, Faisal Ahmed, Sunday Chizoba, Masih Saighani, Kervens Belfort and Wellington Cirino Priori.
Team Officials: Harunur Rashid (Head of Delegation), Satyajit Das Rupu (Manager), Mario Licinio Guerreiro Lemos (Head Coach), SM Zakaria (Coach), Atikur Rahman (Goal Keeper Coach), Shah Alam Chowdhury (Media Manager), Subash Shome, Ali Yakub, Kazi Nazrul Islam (Officials) and Atiqul Islam (Physio)
