All Hail King-sley

Eleta Kingsley's equaliser in stoppage time of the first half was the turning point of the final of the Sheikh Kamal International Club Cup, believed Chittagong Abahani coach Shafiqul Islam Manik.

Kingsley did not only level the margin but he also gave the hosts the lead nine minutes into the second half before setting up the third for Hemanta Vincent Biswas as the hosts came back from a goal down to beat East Bengal 3-1 and clinch their first major silverware.

“We did not start the match well. But after conceding the lead, we were playing better and better. The equaliser came at the right time as we were on the ascendancy and that goal gave us the momentum,” said Manik during the post-match press briefing.

Kingsley said the win was a reward for their motivation and hard work. “I was playing for the team, not for any award. I believe if you play for the team, you will eventually get rewarded,” said the Nigerian, who grabbed the man-of-the-final and the most valuable player award as well as finishing as the tournament's top-scorer.

“It is the best experience for me. There was a lot of expectation on us and we dealt it with well. Actually we were a very tactically disciplined side and the players were motivated to produce good things,” added the 27-year-old striker.

Manik gave credit to the players for giving an all-out effort in the final and for improving match by match.

“We assured each of the players whom we had brought from Sheikh Russel KC on loan that we would sign them up if they got injured during the tournament. I think that helped motivate the players in giving their hundred per cent on the pitch.

“The players made less and less mistakes as the tournament progressed and I think getting most of the players from the same club worked as an added advantage for us,” explained the veteran coach.

East Bengal coach Biswajit Bhattacharya also gave full credit to Chittagong Abahani, saying that they were the deserved winners.

“Chittagong Abahani turned into a better side since their first match defeat because they have got mature players and they played really well in the final,” said Biswajit. “Our defence played well throughout the tournament but today [Friday] they were not up to the mark and could not play well in front of a full-house crowd as they are not used playing in such environment.”

The team management of Chittagong Abahani instantly announced a bonus of Tk 15 lakh for the team while Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who watched the match on television in Dhaka and congratulated the team right after the win through a video conference, declared a cash award of Tk one lakh to each of the players of the team.