Sk Russel, MSC eye semifinals

Sheikh Russel players limber up at the BUET ground yesterday, ahead of their Federation Cup quarterfinal clash against Feni Soccer Club at the Bangabandhu National Stadium today. Photo: STAR

Sheikh Russel KC are looking forward to ensuring their second semifinal berth in successive seasons when they take on the 2009 semifinalist Feni Soccer Club in the first quarterfinal of the Grameenphone Federation Cup at the Bangabandhu National Stadium today.
The game will start at 3:30pm.
Ten-time Federation Cup champions Mohammedan will also be hoping to reach the last four after two successive seasons when they square off against last season's finalists Team BJMC under the floodlight at 6:30pm.
The big-budgeted Sheikh Russel, comprising of nine national players and three quality foreign recruits, are definitely much ahead of Feni Soccer in both paper and performance. The Blue & White outfit stormed into the quarterfinals with three successive victories having striking 13 goals, ten of which have come from the trio of Zahid Hasan Emily, Zahid Hossain and the Haitian Sony Norde.
Sheikh Russel coach Maruful Haque seems upbeat about the victory as he may rest playmaker Mamunul Islam and Moroccan striker Aboukacem, who have one booking, in a bid to ensure them for the semifinal clash.
“Yes, it is an easy match but anything can happen if we take it lightly,” Maruf said. “The important thing is that the boys played accordingly in the last three games and I am hopeful they will also play in right way tomorrow (Tuesday).”
Maruful's counterpart Feni Soccer's coach Mahmudul Haque was not too confident about overcoming Sheikh Russel and was already thinking of a respectable exit from the tournament.
“Sheikh Russel are a far better side than us and reaching the quarterfinal is also an achievement for us. But we will try our best in the quarterfinal and may adopt a counter-attacking game.”
Shrugging off the failure of the last two seasons where they even failed to cross the group-stage, traditional giants Mohammedan showed plenty of signs of improvement before being defeated by the star-studded Sheikh Russel in their last group match.
Instead of being downbeat, Mohammedan coach Saiful Bari Titu believes the defeat against Sheikh Russel will help them against Team BJMC and they will rectify the mistakes they made against Sheikh Russel.
“Mohammedan and BJMC are almost equal in strength but the spirit and eagerness to do well among the players is the key strength of my squad,” said Titu adding that he was going to miss the services of two-goal hero Shohel Rana and might replace him with the Ghanaian recruit Mostafa.
BJMC coach Jakaria Babu is also optimistic about a victory over Mohammedan, who could not beat them last season after BJMC's appearance in top-level football after 27 years.