Bashundhara Kings face Mohammedan in a pivotal match for early league momentum

The Bangladesh Premier Football League is set for an intriguing clash today as the defending champions Bashundhara Kings face runners-up Mohammedan Sporting Club at the Shaheed Dhirendranath Dutta Stadium in Comilla.

This match, taking place in the second round of the league, has raised eyebrows due to its early scheduling, bringing the top two teams face to face earlier than expected.

Mohammedan's coach Alfaz Ahmed expressed frustration at the unusual fixture, remarking, "I've always seen that matches between the two top teams usually take place later in the league. I'm not sure if the league management committee consulted any club when preparing the schedule. I've heard that this fixture was software-generated."

The clash between the two clubs is indeed unexpected, considering the significance of this fixture, often saved for later stages of the season.

For Mohammedan, the timing of this match could not have come at a worse moment. Their record against Bashundhara Kings in recent years has been less than favourable. Since 2019, they have faced the Kings 10 times in the league, with only two victories, while losing six and drawing twice.

More notably, Mohammedan has failed to overcome the Kings in major cup finals, including the Independence Cup, Federation Cup, and Challenge Cup, with the Kings winning each of these encounters. The most recent defeat came last month in the Challenge Cup, a loss that still lingers in the minds of the players and coaching staff.

However, coach Alfaz Ahmed remains optimistic, seeing the Comilla match as an opportunity. "The Comilla pitch is a bit unpredictable. We played our first match in Gazipur, and I feel the Comilla pitch is better in comparison. The only concern is the cricket pitch in the middle. We will correct the mistakes we made in the Challenge Cup final and come back stronger," he said.

Bashundhara Kings' captain, Tapu Barman, who has played in Comilla before, also sees this as a chance to further strengthen their lead.

"We recently beat Mohammedan, and we've already played in Comilla, gaining some experience. While this match is important, we are confident of securing the win," he said.

Both teams come into this fixture with a strong start to the season, having secured dominant victories in their opening matches. Bashundhara Kings thrashed Chittagong Abahani 7-0, while Mohammedan defeated Dhaka Wanderers 6-0.

Despite Mohammedan's discomfort with the fixture, the match is shaping up to be a thrilling encounter. Both teams are loaded with star players, and the fixture has only added more spice to the growing rivalry between the two clubs.

While the Bangladesh football league has traditionally been dominated by the Dhaka-based teams, the emergence of Bashundhara Kings has added a new dimension to the competition.

This will be the second time in a fortnight that the two sides meet, having previously clashed in the 22 November Bangladesh 2.0 Challenge Cup. On that occasion, the Kings won 3-1, although the match was briefly suspended due to crowd issues.

With both teams eager to make an impact early in the league, there is little margin for error. The teams are also fighting to avoid falling behind in the table, knowing that every match counts in the race for the title.