Newcomers NoFeL Sporting Club were pitted in the group of death of the season's curtain-raising Federation Cup football tournament when the draw was held at the Bangladesh Football Federation house yesterday. The Championship League runners-up of last season are in Group D, also featuring three-time league winners Sheikh Jamal DC, Mohammedan Sporting Club and big-spending newcomers Bashundhara Kings.

This is the only group with four teams as the 13 teams were split into four groups, with the other three groups featuring three teams each. The seedings were done based on the table of last season's Bangladesh Premier League.

Kamal Babu, coach of NoFeL sporting, felt unlucky to have found themselves in the toughest group. “This is a very tough group and I don't think we have a chance here. It could have been good for our young team had they come into the season with some form behind them. But we've only had ten days of training so far,” the veteran coach said.

Last year's champions Abahani were drawn in Group C alongside the 2013-edition champions Sheikh Russel KC and Muktijoddha Sangsad KC.

Abahani manager Satyajit Das Rupu was looking to retain the title. “We will have to perform to progress from whichever group we are pitted in. No matter how hard the opponents are, we will have to fight,” he said.

Group A features Saif SC, Arambagh KS and Rahmatganj MFS while Group B includes last year's runners-up Chittagong Abahani, Brothers Union and Team BJMC.

The tournament will kick off on the 27th of this month while the final is scheduled to be held on November 25. The tournament will, however, have a break of nine days due to the FIFA matchdays from November 12 to 20.

The draw ceremony was followed by a contract signing with Walton Group as the sponsors of the tournament. Abdus Salam Murshedy, senior vice-president of BFF, Walton Group's director Iqbal Bin Anwar and other high officials of the football federation were present at the programme.

Meanwhile, a meeting of the professional football league committee yesterday decided to host the Bangladesh Premier League, which will commence after the end of the Federation Cup, at seven venues across the country.