Sk Jamal eye final

Bangladesh Premier League champions Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club will look to book their berth in the final of the King's Cup when they take on defending champions Manang Marshyangdi Club of Nepal in the first semifinal today.

The match will be held at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu and will begin at 4:00pm Bangladesh time.

The Dhanmondi giants, who are taking part in only their third overseas tournament -- having won the Safal Pokhara Gold Cup in Nepal in 2011 and finishing runners-up in the IFA Shield in Kolkata earlier this year -- will be looking to make it three finals in three attempts as they take on Nepalese champions today.

The charges of Maruful Haque are full of confidence after emerging Group A champions with two wins and a draw. Maruful is expected to field the same defence and midfield that beat Mohun Bagan on Thursday, although he will have to make a forced change in attack as striker Wedson Anselme will be suspended for the match due to the red card he received in the previous match.

The Sheikh Jamal coach, however, is seemingly less concerned about Wedson's absence, as he feels he 'has enough options available to take Wedson's place', with another Haitian forward, Vaniel Sirin, most likely to step up in that position. Sirin will likely be partnered upfront by Emeka Darlington, who scored twice in his first match of the tournament on Thursday.

“They (Manang Marshyangdi) are definitely a good side as they have reached the semifinal. But we are confident that we could reach the final,” Maruful told reporters yesterday.

The Nepalese outfit, however, may prove to be a difficult as they are the defending champions in the tournament, and have reached the last four with two wins, a draw and a defeat. The Nepalese champions have six national team players, with skipper and striker Anil Gurung believed to be the most dangerous player.  They finished second in Group B behind Pune FC, with two wins, a draw and one defeat. 

“We are taking on a tough opponent. We will try to adopt a counter-attacking approach and look to catch Sheikh Jamal on the break. We want to beat them to prove we are also one of the best teams of South Asia,” said Manang Marshyangdi coach Nabin Neupane.