Maldivian outfit TC Sports Club arrived in Dhaka yesterday morning to play against Saif Sporting Club in the preliminary round (pre-playoff) of the AFC Cup with a hope of making a winning start.
The match will be held at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on Tuesday.
TC Sports Club, who clinched the title of second edition of Sheikh Kamal International Club Cup in Chittagong last year, have four national players and three foreign recruits. The club became runners-up in Maldives Premier league with 10 wins, two draws and two defeats.
Since the completion of the league in mid-December, the charges of Mohammad Nizam have trained sporadically and are confident about securing all three points against Saif SC, who finished fourth in the Bangladesh Premier League with 11 wins, eight draws and three defeats in 22 matches.
Having trained his charges for nearly an hour at the BUET ground yesterday afternoon, Nizam told reporters that they have come here to win and take advantage to the home leg, which will be played in Male on January 30.
Nizam, however, does not want to take Saif SC lightly as the newcomers have already spent a season in the top-flight football of Bangladesh.
“I am not considering Saif SC as newcomers as they have already played a season in domestic circuit and strengthened their squad with the inclusion of some experienced players from other clubs,” Nizam told reporters.
Saif SC, who earned the ticket in the preliminary round of Asia's second-tier club competition for the first time, had also had a training session at the same venue yesterday morning.
