KARACHI: K-Electric will begin their quest for a maiden international title on Tuesday when they face Dhaka Abhani in their Sheikh Kamal Club Cup opener in Chittagong.

The Pakistan Premier Football League (PPFL) champions have been drawn in Group ‘A’ of the eight-team tournament which features sides from five South Asian countries including hosts Bangladesh.

Led by Mohammed Essa, K-Electric come into the tournament boosted by their qualification to the AFC Cup preliminary round/playoff stage in August and their captain believes a good start is essential for their prospects in the tournament.

“We need to start positively as it will set the tone for the rest of the tournament,” Essa told Dawn on Friday, on the eve of their departure to Bangladesh.

“This is a good tournament for us to play in and we’ll look to do our best. This is our best chance of winning an international trophy.”

Tuesday’s match will be followed with a game against India’s East Bengal on Thursday and Essa has particular reasons to look forward to that clash and go into it with a bit of momentum.

“They’re one of the best sides in the region and I had an offer to play for them in the past,” the former Pakistan skipper said.

“Maybe my career would’ve turned out differently had I gone there but it didn’t happen and I’m satisfied with my career. Now, I’d like to help K-Electric win against them.

“It’s going to be a big match as it isn’t too often that a Pakistani club faces an Indian team.”

K-Electric, who clinched their maiden PPFL title last year, will wrap up their group stage campaign against Chittagong Abhani on Saturday with the top two teams from the group advancing to the semi-finals.

Group ‘B’ of the tournament sees Mohammedan SC Kolkata, Mohammedan SC Dhaka, Sri Lankan outfit Solid FC and Afghan club De Spinghar Bazan battle it out for the top two spots.

Despite Bangladesh league champions Sheikh Jamal, India league champions Mohun Bagan and Nepal league champions refusing to take part in the tournament for various reasons, K-Electric’s Sports Head Zabe Khan believes the event will be a good learning curve for his side.

“The teams that are still in it are pretty good,” Zabe told Dawn on the sidelines of K-Electric’s final practice match — a 2-1 friendly win over city rivals Karachi Port Trust (KPT) — on Friday.

“We’ve got a good chance to win it and that will boost our morale ahead of the AFC Cup preliminary round/playoff stage next year.”

K-Electric have added to their ranks after they made it to the qualifying rounds of Asia’s second-tier club competition in August, having signed former Everton youth striker Jon Ashworth and ex-Nigerian U-17 defender Michael Okpala.

“Okapala will definitely give us a height advantage at the back while Ashworth will add to our striking options,” K-Electric’s head-coach Majid Shafiq told Dawn.

According to the tournament organisers, the champions and runners-up teams will receive US$25,000 and US$10,000 respectively while winners of each match will receive US$1000.

The event is being organised on the lines of the SAFF Club Championship — the brainchild of SAFF president and Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) chief Kazi Salahuddin — which never took off.

But the organisers of the Sheikh Kamal Club Cup are hoping that the tournament becomes a yearly fixture.

“We have invited some of fan-based popular clubs as well as the league champions from inside and outside the country,” said tournament secretary Shamsul Haque Chowdhury during the group stage draw last week. “We want to hold this tournament every year.”

The final of the tournament will be played on October 30.

Published in Dawn, October 20th , 2015

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