Mohammedan not complacent

Despite having already stormed into the knockout phase with a haul of 19 goals in three outings, there is no feel of complacency in the Mohammedan camp as they take on newcomers Shuktara Jubo Sangsad in a quarterfinal match of the Citycell Federation Cup at Bangabandhu National Stadium today.
Mohammedan's striking duo Nigerian Alamu Bukola Olaleken and Zahid Hasan Emily found the back of opponent nets in each of their three group matches including hattrick and thus topped the scorers' lists with six goals each while Nigerian medio Christina Emeka was following them with four goals in two matches.
Nevertheless the trio is now a major worry for any team, but coach Maruful Haq is not complacent about the trio, rather he looks up to the Narayanganj outfit, consisting of experienced booters.
"Yes, they are among goals but we also have to consider who we played against in the group stage. Now we are going to face a comparatively better side, who have some experienced as well as quality players and we are not taking them lightly," said Maruf before preparing his boys for the crucial tie yesterday.
Maruf, who guided Mohammedan to clinch the title of last season's curtain-raising tournament, already found out a couple of Shuktara's strong points and planned to tackle those in a bid to confirm their semifinal berth.
Maruf is however a bit worried over Shuktara's striking duo of Mehdi Hasan Tapu and Nigerian Iddi Batambuze as well as playmaker of Rezaul Karim Liton, the heart of Shuktara's midfield.
Shuktara coach Riaz Biswas also believes the midfield comprising of Liton, Dalim, Sujan and Lintu is the main strength of his side.
"Mohammedan have already proved how strong they are in their previous three matches with 19 goals in three matches. But, I am not thinking about them, rather we are preparing to show our natural game regulated by the midfield," said Riaz.
Without their regular defenders Robin Hasan and Abul Kasem, each serving one match suspension, Shuktara backline will be facing an uphill task to resist Mohammedan's striking duo of Bukola and Emily. And according to Riaz, in their absence Shuktara would prefer to play a safe side game against their mighty opponents.
Recent heavy spells of rains following the depression over the Bay of Bengal not only forced the Bangladesh Football Federation to defer the quarterfinals by four days but also hampered the training of the teams.
The downpours over the last few days made the pitch of Bangabandhu National Stadium unplayable and the football's governing body was still preparing the ground till yesterday for the knockout phase.