Reds' crucial tie with Nebitchi today

WE ARE RED TOO! Two Nebitchi FC players stretch at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on Tuesday. Nebitchi will take on Muktijoddha Sangsad in a crucial AFC Cup match today. PHOTO: STAR

There is nothing like playing a must-win game against a foreign opponent at home infront of a boisterous home crowd. But if you are Muktijoddha Sangsad, that prospect is only possible in dreams.

Despite their phenomenal success in domestic football over the last three or four seasons, the Reds do not have any fan base which is still an advantage enjoyed only by the traditional 'big two' Abahani and Mohammedan. The Muktis attempt to repeat the winning performance in their AFC Cup away game against Turkmenistan's Nebitchi FC in the familiar surroundings of the Bangabandhu National Stadium today and coach Shafiqul Islam Manik gave a rallying call to football fans.

"I want the fans to feel that Muktijoddha are representing Bangladesh. They should come and support us out of national passion," said Manik yesterday.

A victory in the Group A encounter would keep Muktijoddha afloat in the competition. The Reds have four points from three matches and share the second spot with Nebitchi. Al Faysali of Jordan (seven points from three games) are the runaway leaders of the group with India's East Bengal languishing at the bottom with just one point.

Already the intolerable heat in Dhaka looks likely to play a major role.

Nebitchi are coming off almost zero degree celsius temperature at home and could find Muktijoddha an even tougher side than the one they faced in Ashgabat a fortnight ago.

"We have the experience of playing under hot conditions in Thailand last year but it's even hotter in Dhaka. It could be a big problem for our players," said manager Grigoryans Konstantin at the pre-match media briefing yesterday.

Muktijoddha on the otherhand were in an upbeat mood following the 1-0 win in their last meeting and the 2-0 victory over Brothers Union in the final of the Independence Cup last Saturday.

"They (Nebitchi) are superior to us but there are three major factors which could work in our favour. Our morale is high after beating them in the away match, we are playing at home and most importantly, we are accustomed to the heat," said Manik.

Muktijoddha will be boosted by the return of their two star defenders Hasan Al Mamun and Rajani Kanta Barman. Mamun made his first appearance in seven months in the final of the Independence Cup after recovering from a knee injury while Rajani missed the last match due to a one-game ban.

Despite their recent high, Manik said that his side would adopt a cautious approach.

"A win is my main concern. It doesn't matter how it comes. We won the away match with similar tactics and we will stick to it here. We don't want to be over enthusiastic in bid to dominate and lose the game."