Sheikh Jamal's King's Cup glory
Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club clinched the prestigious King's Cup title in Bhutan beating I-League outfit Pune FC 1-0 in a pulsating final at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu yesterday.
National team's centre-back Yeasin Khan's diving header on a corner from Wedson Anselme in the 24th minute proved to be the decider in arguably the most prestigious club competition of South Asia.
The Dhanmondi giants, who remained unbeaten throughout the tournament, came under heavy pressure from Pune since taking the lead, especially in the second half, but managed to hold on to the slender lead, despite being reduced to ten men in the stoppage time.
This is the second overseas title for the new leviathans of Bangladesh football. The formerly Dhanmondi Club, renamed after Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's second son in 2010, splashed the cash by roping in a host of national stars as well as quality foreign players. Success was instant as they lifted the professional league title in their debut season before repeating the feat in the 2013-2014 season.
However, it is their success in overseas campaigns that has caught the attention of the country's football lovers as well as across South Asia. At a time when established giants like Mohammedan and Abahani were fading, Sheikh Jamal's enterprising football earned them a lot of admirers both at home and abroad. They clinched the Safal Pokhara Gold Cup in 2011 in Nepal in their first overseas tournament and won the hearts of Kolkata football fans by beating Mohun Bagan and East Bengal on their way to reaching the final of the IFA Shield earlier this year. The final proved to be a heart-breaking affair for the Dhanmondi outfit as they lost in tiebreakers against Kolkata Mohammedan.
The King's Cup triumph will surely go a long way to healing Sheikh Jamal's wounds as well as establishing themselves as one of the most, if not the most, vaunted football clubs in South Asia.
Comments