Abahani Start Training

B. League champions Abahani Ltd Dhaka will prepare for more than a month for their return to Asian club football competition after nearly a decade.

Abahani, who last played in the now-defunct Asian Cup Winners Cup in the 90s, will participate in the third edition of the AFC President's Cup to be held in Kathmandu next April.

Abahani, who won the right to play in the third-ranked AFC competition after winning the country's inaugural professional league last year, will start training on March 10.

Manager and former player Satyajit Das Rupu informed that the sky-blues have retained almost their full squad for the coming second B. League in addition of rising stars Robin and Sony from fellow professional league clubs Farashganj and Rahamatganj respectively, who will make the trip to Nepal.

Rupu added that their Ghanaian forward Awdu Ibrahim will be available within a couple of days and he will bring along another foreign recruit.

Abahani have been drawn in a tough group for the April 20-24 meet involving host team Nepal Police, who reached last year's final in Pakistan, Regar-Tadaz of Tajikistan - winners of the inaugural President's Cup - and Pakistan Wapda.

Abahani Face Nepal Police in Opener

Abahani will return to international club football after a long time when they face last year's runners-up and host club Nepal Police Club in the opening match of the AFC Presidents Cup qualifying Group A in Kathmandu on April 20.

Bangladesh professional league champions Abahani, who last participated in an Asian club competition back in the 90s, have been drawn in a tough group and will play former champions Regar-Tadaz of Tajikistan on April 22.

Abahani's last group opposition are Pakistan Army, winners of their national competition.

All the matches will be played at the Dashrath Stadium at the heart of Nepal's capital.

BFF Reveal 2008 Football Calendar

A total of 16 tournaments were approved by the Executive Committee of the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) with the revival of the popular National Football League and the good old Pioneer League.

The BFF also gave a guideline to the B. League committee to complete the transfer of the second edition of the professional league by February after discussion with the participating clubs. Due to international commitment at national and club levels, the B. League committee might readjust its tentative schedule of April-August.

The national team will take part in the AFC Challenge Cup and the SAFF Championship in March and May respectively this year while B. League holders Abahani are due to play in the AFC President's Cup in April.

The top footballers will get the chance to warm up for the B. League with the Swadhinata Cup to be held in March while the Federation Cup is due for September and the NFL from October-December.

The BFF also extended the time for forming FAs at the six divisions till February 7. Meanwhile, Mojammel Haque Mukta has been named manager of the Under-19 football team which will take part in the 2nd Indo-Bangladesh Games, next month.

Tough Draw for Bangladesh

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) released Bangladesh's international football schedule for national and club teams for the early part of 2008.

The national team received a very tough draw for the AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers, where they will have to face hosts Kyrgyzstan for a place in the finals. Bangladesh are also pitted against rather easier opponents Afghanistan and Laos in the Group C qualifiers, which will be held in Kyrgyzstan from May 5-10.

The four group champions will join automatic qualifiers DPR Korea, Turkmenistan, India and Myanmar in the final round. The venue and date of the finals have yet to be decided. The Group A matches will be played in Chinese Taipei, initially chosen as the venue of the second edition of the tournament but cancelled by the AFC for lack of facilities. Apart from the hosts, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Guam complete the group.

Philippines will host defending champions Tajikistan, Brunei and Bhutan in Group B while Nepal compete at home against Palestine, Cambodia and Macao in Group D.

The inaugural AFC Cup was held in Bangladesh, which has not even won the rights to host club matches. Abahani, the professional football league champions of the country, will have to travel to Kathmandu to play their Group A matches of the AFC President's Cup.

It will be the local giants' return to international football after a long time as they failed to win a berth in the previous AFC Cup tournaments. After the Bangladesh Football Federation's failure to send any team to last year's AFC Cup as there had been no competition in 2006, Bangladesh's rating declined as they were demoted to the lowest ranked tournament of the AFC.

The other teams to play in the Himalayan Kingdom from April 20-24 are former President's Cup champions Regar-Tadaz of Tajikistan and national league winners of hosts Nepal and Pakistan. The Group B comprises of holders Dordoi Dynamo of Kyrgyzstan, Nagacorp FC of Cambodia and Taiwan Power of Chinese Taipei who play in Taipei. Colombo will host Group C involving local side Ratnam SC, Asgabat of Turkmenistan, Bhutan Transport United and Kanbawza from Myanmar.

AFC Names Abahani for President's Cup

B. League champions Abahani's participation in the AFC Cup looked uncertain as the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) yesterday confirmed that the Dhaka giants will play in the AFC President's Cup.

The AFC organises three continental club tournaments every year with the top nations representing the prestigious Champions League, the mid-level sides competing in the AFC Cup and the bottom-category countries getting the President's Cup.

The Bangladesh clubs earlier participated in the AFC Cup but last year, there had been no entry as the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) failed to organise any league in 2006.

As 2007 professional league winners, Abahani were supposed to win an AFC Cup berth but the sky-blues have been pitted against clubs from the least developed football nations.

The BFF yesterday confirmed that Abahani's entry has been accepted as B. League champions of 2006-2007 although the AFC had invited only the national league champions from 11 countries for 2008.

A BFF official confirmed yesterday that as there was no National League in Bangladesh in the 2006-07 season, the AFC decided to award Abahani a place in the competition, so far dominated by central Asian nations.

The qualification stage will be held from March 20 to April this year but it was not known whether matches would be played on home-away basis or at centralised venues.

The final stage - two semifinals and final - will be played from 19-21 September.

The other ten nations to be represented at the event are Bhutan, Cambodia, Chinese Taipei, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.