'Time the officials paid back for the sacrifice of players and coaching staff'

Mohammedan Sporting Club's first professional league title was confirmed after Abahani lost against Fortis FC on Saturday. Alfaz Ahmed, a prolific striker of the club in its heydays, made it happen as head coach after many others had failed to do so over the last 23 years. It wasn't easy for a club which had gone through a lot of ups and downs in recent years, including the Casino Scandal and the troubles post August-5. In a conversation with The Daily Star's Atique Anam, the former national team captain spoke about the secret of his team's success and what he expects from the club in the wake of this title triumph. Following are the excerpts:

The Daily Star (DS): Mohammedan had won their last league title 23 years ago. It has been a long wait. How is the feeling for you?

Alfaz Ahmed (AA): It's hard to express the feeling in words. We grew up as players from Mohammedan and to take the club to a good position feels so good. It feels great to think of myself as a part of this title triumph.

DS: You all must have followed the game on Youtube. How was the environment at the club tent?

AA: Everyone celebrated with loud cheers and revelry after the title was secured. We all are happy to become champions. But the official celebration is yet to take place, and the club officials will decide how to celebrate this achievement.

DS: You won many titles with Mohammedan as a player. But the club has gone through a dark period and had lots of ups and downs in recent years. How did you and the rest of the coaching staff bring the team to this stage?

AA: Once (Imtiaz Ahmed) Nakib and I took over, alongside the football committee members, our responsibility was to bring back the glory of the club. Our chairman (Mohiuddin) Alamgir bhai and club president General Mubeen made a lot of contribution towards this achievement. On top of all, the players, both local and foreign, played a tremendous role. It was a complete teamwork.

DS: Mohammedan became a force again over the last few years, winning a Federation Cup title and then making it to the final in a few other competitions recently. Did you believe, at the beginning of the season, that the club would eventually win the title this time?

AA: When we finished as runners-up in three tournaments last year – Federation Cup, league and Independence Cup, we thought why not become champions if we can finish second. Our main target was to win the league title this time. We followed that objective and the players played with full effort. 

DS: After the change in political landscape, Bashundhara Kings and Abahani have become a bit weak. Sheikh Jamal and Sheikh Russel were not even there. Do you think that helped your job too?

AA: In sports, everyone wants to be champions. No one gives a quarter to their opponents on the pitch. There is no weak team in the Dhaka league. If you look at the results, we beat Fortis, Fortis beat Abahani, Abahani beat Bashundhara. I think the league overall was very competitive this time around.

DS: Your own club, too, had gone through a lot of issues, mostly financially, this year. Did that make any impact on the pitch?

AA: It was a big challenge for us. We suffered financially. However, Alamgir bhai, despite his troubles, was always with Mohammedan. He has spent a lot of money on Mohammedan over the last three-four seasons.

DS: We have heard that Mohammedan owe the players and coaching staff close to theee months' salaries. How difficult has it been for you and the players to stay motivated during these times?

Mohammedan players and fans celebrate their title triumph. Photo: Mohammedan

AA: See, we have all made sacrifices on the promises of the club officials.  Everyone worked for the club with a sacrificing attitude. So it is time for the club to pay back. 

You don't win championships every other day. We have brought the trophy to Mohammedan. That needs to be taken into cognizance by the club officials. We would want the club to celebrate this victory and make the players satisfied.

DS: Apart from the salaries, there are other deficiencies for Mohammedan. The club doesn't have a proper tent or training ground. What would be your demand to the club in this regard?

AA: We don't have a proper training ground. That is the biggest demand from us. The club needs to make sure that this success is harnessed for further success. What we have done is bring back people's love for the club. We have instilled the belief that we can now beat teams like Bashundhara Kings. There will be a new committee in place soon. So our expectation would be that the club forms a strong team to help us continue our success.