The usual conversations among former footballers at Mohammedan Sporting Club took an unexpected turn on Thursday. After a long absence due to illness, club president and former army chief General Abdul Mubeen made a surprise visit. He came to express his appreciation to the coaching staff, footballers, and officials present after team’s final book for the successive time.
Despite having a smaller budget than Abahani, Mohammedan’s football team remains undefeated in the ongoing Bashundhara Premier League football.
The team's impressive run comes after finishing runners-up in the Independence Cup, the season's opening tournament, and reaching the Federation Cup finals just three days prior.
Mubeen expressed his satisfaction with the team's performance. “Our position is significantly better compared to the last two seasons,” he declared. He acknowledged the contributions of not only the players but also the coaching staff, football committee chairman Alamgir Sahib, and his committee.
While the current season is still ongoing, the Football Federation announced a new transfer window date for June 1st. Engineer Golam Mohammad Alamgir, a club director and the football committee chairman, discussed Mohammedan's plans for maintaining their current momentum next season.
Alamgir emphasized their commitment to respecting and honoring the players. However, he acknowledged the need for financial resources to build strong teams and run the club effectively.
He highlighted the primary financial contributions of himself and the president, General Mubeen. "We stick to our commitments and won't make unrealistic promises," he asserted. He also mentioned plans to discuss future team building with the president, coach, and manager.
Following Mohammedan's Federation Cup win last year, the players received bonuses. The club president's visit today fueled speculation about a similar announcement before the upcoming final.
Alamgir confirmed that there would be rewards for the champions, but the specifics would be announced by the president. He hinted at a performance-based bonus structure, unlike the uniform bonuses awarded last year.
Before the president's arrival, former footballers discussed the team's limited training facilities. This issue was raised by journalists present during Mubeen's visit.
He acknowledged the challenges, explaining that forming competitive teams for various sports each year takes precedence over extensive field development. He mentioned a potential location with some documentation hurdles.
Despite being a popular and historic club, Mohammedan faces financial limitations. When questioned about securing independent income sources and potential game-specific sponsorships, the president acknowledged such plans exist but are not currently a priority.
Since taking charge in 2021, General Mubeen has overseen a significant turnaround for Mohammedan's image, which had been tarnished by previous controversies.
The club has enjoyed success across multiple sports under his leadership, including a cricket runner-up finish this season, last year's Federation Cup win in football, and reaching the finals of both the Independence Cup and Federation Cup again this year. They are also potential runners-up in the football league and were contenders for the hockey league title before a controversial withdrawal from the finals.
