Usha-MSC semi today
Defending champions Usha Krira Chakra will be looking forward to making it to the final of the Club Cup hockey tournament for the third consecutive time when they take on Mohammedan SC in the first semifinal at the Maulana Bhasani Hockey Stadium today.
Four-time champions Usha KC, who emerged as group champions with two wins and a draw, will bank on their trio of local strikers -- Pushkor Khisha Mimo, Krishna Kumar and Hasan Jubair Niloy -- while the inclusion of Malaysian World Cup playing striker Ismail Abu will be an added inspiration for the Old Dhaka outfit to make it to the final of the tournament for the seventh time in 11 editions.
“We will definitely go there to win,” said Usha KC coach Mamunur Rashid. “We are confident of making it to the final because we have a strong attacking line-up as well as a strong backline comprising two Malaysian defenders.”
On the other hand, four-time champions Mohammedan have not made it to the Club Cup final since their last triumph in 2010. However, they are determined to break the jinx this time but it will all depend on the performance of their Pakistani players, who are set to grab the sticks after missing the match against Abahani.
Mohammedan coach Jamal Haider was not as confident as the Usha coach and the former national player emphasised on the performance of the local players to get a result against Usha KC.
“There is a 50-50 chance. If the local players can perform well apart from the four Pakistani players, then we have good opportunity to win the semifinal,” said Jamal Haider, who will miss the service of influential attacking midfielder Rasel Mahmud Jimmy as he sustained a hamstring injuring during the match against archrivals Abahani.
The match will get underway at 4:00pm.
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