2014 Dialog Champions League winners, Solid SC will be participating in the Sheikh Kamal International Club Cup.
This will be the first edition of the competition which will be hosted by Bangladesh Club, Chittagong Abahani associated by the Bangladesh Football Federation. The tournament will be played from 
the 20th to the 30th of October at the M.A. Aziz Stadium in Chittagong.
Eight teams from five nations will be participating in the competition including three from Bangladesh. Dhaka Mohammedan, Dhaka Abahani and Chittagong Abahani will be the Bangladesh clubs while De Spin Ghar Bazan FC will represent Afghanistan, K-Electric FC from Pakistan with East Bengal FC and Kolkata Mohammedan will represent India.
Solid SC will be looking to put behind their disappointing title defense where they were unable to enter the Super Eight round, and defeat some of the well-established clubs in South Asia.
Pakistan Premier Football League (PPFL) champions K-Electric (KE) will become the first club from the country to feature an English Premier League youth product when they head to Bangladesh for the Sheikh Kamal International Club Cup, which is scheduled to begin from October 20.
Not only that, KE will also have a female coach, national women’s team manager Raheela Zarmeen, as part of the contingent that travels to Bangladesh — another first for Pakistan.
“We will be bringing in an Everton academy product, Jon Ashworth, and a third Nigerian defender Okpala Michael to our camp this time,” KE Head of Sports Marketing and Brand Activation Zabe Khan told The Express Tribune. “We also want to give exposure to women and show that they can work at an all-men’s club and Zarmeen will be a great addition to our coaching staff.”
The tournament, which needed the intervention of Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) President Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat to allow KE to participate at the event as the Bangladesh Football Federation had rejected their application, claiming the documents were sent late, features two clubs from India, while Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and the hosts would feature one team each.
“We want to thank Hayat and [PFF secretary] Ahmed Yar Khan Lodhi for this opportunity, they really put their efforts in assuring our place in Bangladesh,” said Zabe, while further adding that UEFA certified coach Majid Shafiq, who led the club to the second round of Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup qualifiers, will also return to the camp.
Local giants Abahani Limited will take on Karachi Electric FC of Pakistan in the opening match of the inaugural Sheikh Kamal International Club Cup tournament, scheduled in Chittagong from Tuesday.
Hosts Chittagong Abahani will play Indian outfit East Bengal FC in the second match of the opening day. Kolkata Mohammedan Sporting Club will take on Solid FC of Sri Lanka the following day while Dhaka Mohammedan will open their campaign against De Spingher Bazan FC of Afghanistan in the day’s other match.
Afghan club Bazan had abruptly pulled out of the tournament a day after the draw of the tournament was completed. But the organisers somehow managed to convince them to play the tournament, keeping it an eight-team tournament.
‘They initially had refused to play due to their internal crisis but we could convince them finally,’ said Shakil Mahmud Chowdhury, the coordinator of the tournament.
‘All overseas teams, including the Afghan champions, will arrive by October 18.’
Eight teams — three local and five foreign clubs — split into two groups for the tournament will vie in the group stage. Two top teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals which will be held on October 27 and 28 respectively. The final will be held on October 30 at the MA Aziz Stadium.
