Mohammedan Sporting Club coach Alfaz Ahmed sat anxiously at the club office and asked others around him to remain calm as he was watching the Bangladesh Premier League match between Abahani Limited and Fortis Football Club on his laptop.
When the final whistle confirmed Abahani's 2-1 defeat, Alfaz finally smiled, while others roared in celebration, as Fortis' victory gave Mohammedan their first BPL title since the competition's inception in 2007.
Mohammedan, who had previously finished as runners-up on four occasions, won the 10-team league with three matches in hand with 38 points, 10 points ahead of Abahani and 13 points ahead of last edition鈥檚 champions, Bashundhara Kings.
This was the club鈥檚 20th top-tier league title, more than any other team in domestic football, since it was founded in 1936, and its first in 23 years, having previously won the then-Dhaka Premier Division League in 2002.
It was also Mohammedan鈥檚 second domestic title in three years since Alfaz took charge of the Black and White outfits in March 2023. Under his tutelage, Mohammedan earlier won the Federation Cup in May 2023.
Apart from the BPL and Fed Cup titles, Mohammedan also finished runners-up on three occasions 鈥� Federation Cup in 2024, Challenge Cup in 2024 and Independence Cup in 2023 鈥� under the former Bangladesh national team captain.
'In two and a half years, we've won five [actually two] trophies. This success was made possible by the sacrifice of everyone involved, including players, coaching staff, and organisers. We had a clear objective to restore the club's glory,' Alfaz told 抖阴精品.
'It feels amazing to be a part of this title victory. Everyone celebrated the title triumph by shouting aloud. However, the formal celebration will be held on May 29. It's much more significant to me because I grew up playing for Mohammedan and actually captained the team. The club is now in a terrific situation, and I expect everyone's support for future success.鈥�
Alfaz credited team manager Imtiaz Ahmed Nakib, club chairman Mohiuddin Alamgir, and president General Mubeen for their constant support through difficult circumstances.
'I joined the club as a coach during a difficult period and formed a squad with a limited budget but had strong support from everyone 鈥� especially from Nakib Bhai. For the past few months, players and other staff have not been paid. But, in the end, teamwork paid off,' he said.
When asked why it took so long to win the first BPL title, he replied, 鈥楾here were several reasons, including financial crises and a lack of a training ground.鈥�
鈥業t鈥檚 difficult to explain all those reasons in brief. Now we want to celebrate and look forward. I will also expect the club organisers to ensure our participation in the forthcoming AFC Cup,鈥� he said.
Alfaz termed the overall standard of the league as 鈥榗ompetitive鈥�, and fans showed their love for Mohammedan.
鈥業 think the league overall was very competitive this time. If you take a look, you will see we beat Fortis, Fortis beat Abahani, and Abahani beat Bashundhara. And we have got support from fan followers during the Mohammedan鈥檚 match,鈥� he continued.听
The Motijheel-based outfit became the fifth club to win the BPL title, following six-time champions Abahani, five-time winners Kings, three-time champions Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club, and one-time champions Sheikh Russel Krira Chakra.
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