Can Arambagh break final jinx?
Lightweights Arambagh will look to break their tournament final jinx when they square off against defending champions Chittagong Abahani in the final of the Walton Independence Cup at the Bangabandhu National Stadium today.
Since the establishment of the club in 1958, Arambagh have never won any silverware despite playing in four finals so far -- finals of the Federation Cup in 1997, 2001 and 2016 and the final of Victory Day Football tournament organsied by Mohammedan in 2008. Interestingly, Arambagh lost three of those four finals against Abahani except for the 2001 Federation Cup final where they lost against Muktijoddha Sangsad.
The youthful Arambagh side are now up against another Abahani -- one from Chittagong, who won the tournament last year. The question is whether the Motijheel-based outfit can break their final jinx, with high expectations on them following victories over heavyweights Dhaka Abahani and Sheikh Jamal in the quarterfinal and semifinal respectively.
The charges of UEFA A licensed coach Maruful Haque were not up to the mark at the start of the season, but they started playing well from the second leg of the premier league, eventually finishing eighth in the 12-team table. They have now reached the final of the season-ending tournament playing some enterprising football. Now they are seemingly upbeat about breaking the final jinx to win the first silverware in club history.
“The boys took time to understand my coaching but they have now adapted to the system and we are getting the results in the Independence Cup,” Maruful said. “If we can implement the system we have developed and the strategy we have applied in the final match, we can become champions.”
Maruful also tipped his side as favourites and believes the lacking his side have will be overcome through fitness and confidence.
The veteran coach Maruful has been playing his youthful side in counter-attacking system, keeping the defence solid and players like winger Arif, striking duo of Abu Sufian Sufil and Mohammad Jewel and midfielder Shahriar Bappy are playing key roles in this system.
Maruful's counterpart, Zulfiker Mahmud Mintu -- who once worked as his deputy -- is also confident about defending the title as consolation after missing out on the Federation Cup and Bangladesh Premier League titles.
“Arambagh are a good and spirited side. They have good players, plan and strategy but we know all about those. We have also worked on those points in the practice sessions and we know what we have to do to stop them in the final,” said Mintu, who is seemingly a bit worried over the fatigue of his players following their action round the year.
Both Arambagh and Chittagong Abahani were in the same group of the tournament and the port-city outfit came from a goal down to secure a 1-1 draw during the group stage to ensure their last eight berth. The team's captain-cum-goalkeeper Ashraful Islam Rana considered Arambagh as the favourites for the final.
“Arambagh have been playing good football as they came to this stage by beating two big teams. They also dominated us in the group stage match. Tomorrow's final will be a fifty-fifty affair, so it is not going to be an easy encounter for either side. I think the best side on the pitch will come out victorious,” said the national team's goalkeeper.
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