Chittagong Abahani Limited
Chittagong Abahani Limited (Bengali: চট্টগ্রাম আবাহনী লিমিটেড), also spelled as Chattogram Abahani or Chittagong Abahoni, is a sports club based in Chittagong, Bangladesh. A wing of Abahani Limited was established at Chittagong in 1980 known as Chittagong Abahani.[1] Though it was established as a wing of Abahani Limited, Chittagong Abahani has its own directorial board, club structure and operates separately at present. It is considered as the most successful football club from Chittagong. It is currently a team of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), the top tier of Bangladeshi football.
| Full name | Chittagong Abahani Limited | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Blue Pirates (Bengali: ব্লু পাইরেটস) | ||
| Short name | CAL | ||
| Founded | 10 October 1980 | ||
| Ground | M. A. Aziz Stadium (Playing home games at Bir Sreshtho Fl. Lt. Matiur Rahman Stadium in current season) | ||
| Capacity | 36,000 | ||
| President | M. Abdul Latif | ||
| Head Coach | Saiful Bari Titu | ||
| League | Bangladesh Premier League | ||
| 2021–22 | BPL, 7th of 13 | ||
| |||
| Current season | |||
| Departments of Chittagong Abahani | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Football (Men's) | Football (Reserves & Youth) | Cricket (Men's) | |
The team was relegated from Bangladesh Premier League in 2010–11 season. It again gained the promotion to Premier League by becoming champion of the 2013 Bangladesh Championship League.[2] The club host Sheikh Kamal International Club Cup, a bi-annual tournament in memory of their founder, Sheikh Kamal.[3] They won the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2015.[4] The club won their first major domestic trophy in 2016 by winning the 2016 Independence Cup under the guidance of Slovak coach Jozef Pavlik.[5] Chittagong Abahani had a fierce rivalry with Chittagong Mohammedan earlier in Chittagong Premier League and later in Bangladesh Premier League.
History
1980–2000: Beginning
In late 1970s, Didarul Alam Chowdhury was inspired by the Dhaka-based club Abahani Limited Dhaka. He is a football organizer from Chittagong. Didarul wanted to establish a wing of Abahani in Chittagong for the betterment of Sports in Chittagong. He convened a meeting with other local organizers on 10 October 1980. With the meeting, Chittagong Abahani officially started its journey.
Iqbal Khan, popular footballer of Chittagong and father of Tamim Iqbal & Nafees Iqbal, played a vital role Chittagong Abahani's inception.[6] He also played for Chittagong Abahani. Chittagong Abahani won their first-ever Chittagong League title under his captaincy.[6]
2000–2014: Journey at top level
Chittagong Abahani qualified for the 2000-01 National Football Championship by crowning 1999 Chittagong League title. The team finished 3rd in the NFC season. In 2001-02 National Football Championship, Ctg Abahani finished at Super Four. Chittagong Abahani also became runners-up twice of Chittagong League in 2000s decade.
In 2007, Bangladesh Football Federation started B. League (now Bangladesh Premier League), country's first professional football league. Chittagong Abahani was one of the founding teams of the league. After struggling in the first three seasons, Ctg Abahani relegated to Bangladesh Championship League in 2010–11 season.
The port city outfit finished at the bottom in their first BCL season. However, there was no relegation system for second tier in that time which saved the team from demotion. The Blue Pirates made a strong comeback in next season becoming Champion of 2013-14 BCL & came back to top tier. Chittagong Abahani finished at 9th in 2014-15 BPL, their returning season to top tier.
2015–present: Beginning of the revolutionary era
In November 2014, Tarafder Ruhul Amin of Saif Powertec Limited became chairman of Chittagong Abahani Directorial Board.[7][8] Saif Powertec Limited becomes new sponsor of Chittagong Abahani.
In 2015, Chittagong Abahani organised inaugural edition of Sheikh Kamal International Club Cup at M. A. Aziz Stadium, Chittagong before the 2015-16 domestic season.[9] It was the first international club tournament at Chittagong since 1982. Chittagong Abahani won the tournament beating Kolkata giant East Bengal in final.[10] The huge attendance of the final broke all the recent records. The port city outfit gave their arrival message as a rising giant with this tournament.
In May 2016, Chittagong Abahani won 2016 Independence Cup under their first ever foreign coach Jozef Pavlik.[11] It was the first domestic major trophy of the club history. Chittagong Abahani finished at 2nd in 2016 BPL, their best result ever.[12] They signed Bangladesh national team Captain Mamunul Islam, Bhutan international Chencho Gyeltshen, former Haiti international Fabrice Noel & Leonel Saint Preux for this season.
Chittagong Abahani also become runners-up of 2017 Independence Cup, 2017 Federation Cup & finished 3rd in 2017-18 BPL.[13] However, the Blue Pirates performed down in 2018–19 season as they knocked out from both tournaments in quarterfinal & obtained 8th position in the league.
Maruful Haque era
Current squad
Chittagong Abahani Ltd. squad for 2022–23 season.
- As of 15 November 2022
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
|
Personnel
Current technical staff
As of November 2022
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head Coach | Saiful Bari Titu |
| Assistant Coaches | Mahbubul Haque Arafat Ali Rony |
| Goalkeeping Coach | Mohammad Poniruzzaman |
| Physiotherapist | Fuad Hasan Hawlader |
| Team Manager | Arman Aziz |
Coaches
- Asaduzzaman Jhontu (2015)
- Shafiqul Islam Manik (10 August 2015 – 15 March 2016)[14][15]
- Jozef Pavlík[16] (30 March 2016 – 21 September 2016)
- Zulfiker Mahmud Mintu[17][18] (22 September 2016 – 31 December 2016)
- Saiful Bari Titu[19] (9 January 2017 – 4 January 2018)
- Zulfiker Mahmud Mintu (4 January 2018 – 3 August 2019)
- Maruful Haque[20] (October 2019 – 28 August 2022)
- Saiful Bari Titu[21] (9 November 2022 — present)
Management
Board of Directors
As of January 2020.
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| President | M. Abdul Latif |
| Vice-president | Tarafder MD Ruhul Amin |
| General Secretary | Shamsul Haque Chowdhury |
| Director | Mahbubul Alam |
| Secretary (Football Committee) | Shakil Mahmud Chowdhury |
Team records
Head coach record
- As of the end of the 2021–22 season
| Coach | From | To | P | W | D | L | GS | GA | %W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shafiqul Islam Manik | 10 August 2015 | January 2016 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 6 | 80.00 |
| Jozef Pavlík | 30 March 2016 | 21 September 2016 | 16 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 26 | 17 | 50.00 |
| Zulfiker Mahmud Mintu | 21 September 2016 | 31 December 2016 | 15 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 23 | 8 | 73.33 |
| Saiful Bari Titu | 9 January 2017 | 4 January 2018 | 29 | 18 | 6 | 5 | 40 | 23 | 62.07 |
| Zulfiker Mahmud Mintu | 4 January 2018 | 3 August 2019 | 38 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 38 | 41 | 26.32 |
| Maruful Haque | October 2019 | 28 August 2022[22] | 70 | 33 | 15 | 22 | 115 | 100 | 47.14 |
| Saiful Bari Titu | 9 November 2022[23] |
Top scorers by season
| Season | Player | Total Goals | BPL | Federation Cup | Independence Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-18 | Tawhidul Alam Sabuz | 10 | 8 | 0 | 2 |
| 2018–19 | Momodou Bah | 11 | 6 | 2 | 3 |
| 2019-20 | Nixon Guylherme | 5 | 4 | 1 | Not held |
| 2020-21 | Nixon Guylherme | 13 | 12 | 1 | Not held |
| 2021-22 | Peter Ebimobowei | 22 | 20 | 1 | 1 |
All-time top scorers
The table is a record of goals scored since 2017–18 season and accurate as of the end of the 2021–22 season. Goals scored in major competitions (Premier League, Federation Cup & Independence Cup) are counted in the above list.
| Ranking | Name | Years | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Peter Ebimobowei | 2021–22 | 22 |
| 2 | Nixon Guylherme | 2019–21 | 18 |
| 3 | Matthew Chinedu | 2019–21 | 12 |
| 4 | Momodou Bah | 2018-19 | 11 |
| 5 | Tawhidul Alam Sabuj | 2017-18 | 10 |
| 6 | Rakib Hossain | 2019–21 | 9 |
| 7 | Kpehi Didier Brossou | 2019–21 | 8 |
| 8 | Shakhawat Rony | 2017–18, 2019– | 7 |
| 9 | Nduka Alison | 2017-18 | 6 |
Source: Soccerway
All-time top scorers in Premier League
The table is a record of goals scored since 2017–18 season and accurate as of the end of the 2021–22 season.
| Ranking | Name | Years | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Peter Ebimobowei | 2022 | 20 |
| 2 | Nixon Guylherme | 2020–21 | 16 |
| 3 | Matthew Chinedu | 2020–21 | 11 |
| 4 | Tawhidul Alam Sabuj | 2017-18 | 8 |
| 5 | Rakib Hossain | 2020–21 | 7 |
| Didier Brossou | 2020–21 | 7 | |
| 7 | Momodou Bah | 2018-19 | 6 |
| 8 | Omid Popalzay | 2022 | 5 |
| Shakhawat Rony | 2017–18, 2020–22 | 5 |
Source: Soccerway
Most appearances in Premier League
The table is a record of appearances made since 2017–18 season and accurate as of the end of the 2021–22 season.
| Ranking | Name | Years | App. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monir Alam | 2018-22 | 74 |
| 2 | Koushik Barua | 2017- | 68 |
| 3 | Monaem Khan Raju | 2018–21 | 45 |
| 4 | Mufta Lawal | 2017-19 | 39 |
| 5 | Shakhawat Rony | 2017–18, 2020–22 | 34 |
| 6 | Shawkat Russel | 2020– | 33 |
| 7 | Matthew Chinedu | 2019-21 | 30 |
| 8 | Nixon Guylherme | 2019-21 | 29 |
| Mannaf Rabby | 2017-18, 2019-21 | 29 | |
| 10 | Mohammad Nehal | 2017-20 | 27 |
| Rakib Hossain | 2019-21 | 27 |
Source: Soccerway
Recent seasons
| Season | League | Level | Position | Movements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998–99 | Chittagong League | Regional Top Tier | 1st | qualified for |
| 2000–01 | NFC | 1st Tier | 3rd of 8 | |
| 2001–02 | NFC | 1st Tier | Super Four (3rd of 48) | |
| 2003–04 | Chittagong League | Regional Top Tier | 2nd of 10 | |
| 2005–06 | Chittagong League | Regional Top Tier | 2nd | |
| 2007–08 | BPL | 1st Tier | 10th of 11 | |
| 2008–09 | BPL | 1st Tier | 8th of 11 | |
| 2009–10 | BPL | 1st Tier | 11th of 13 | |
| 2010–11 | BPL | 1st Tier | 12th of 12 | Relegated |
| 2011–12 | BCL | 2nd Tier | 7th of 7 | |
| 2012–13 | BCL | 2nd Tier | 1st of 8 | Promoted |
| 2013–14 | BPL | 1st Tier | 8th of 10 | |
| 2014–15 | BPL | 1st Tier | 9th of 11 | |
| 2015–16 | BPL | 1st Tier | 2nd of 12 | |
| 2017–18 | BPL | 1st Tier | 3rd of 12 | |
| 2018–19 | BPL | 1st Tier | 8th of 13 | |
| 2019–20 | BPL | 1st Tier | 2nd of 13 (league abandoned) | |
| 2020–21 | BPL | 1st Tier | 5th of 13 | |
| 2021-22 | BPL | 1st Tier | 7th of 12 |
Source: RSSF
Stadium
The M. A. Aziz Stadium with 25000-plus capacity is the primary home venue of Chittagong Abahani. They play their home matches of BPL in this stadium. They also organise the Sheikh Kamal International Club Cup, a biannual international football tournament, at this stadium.
However, the club currently playing their home matches at Shaheed Dhirendranath Datta Stadium of Cumilla. The club also used Bangabandhu National Stadium as home venue in some seasons due to COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh and other reasons.[24][25]
Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors
| Period | Kit Manufacturer | Shirt Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| 2015–2017 | Unknown | Saif Powertec Limited |
| 2018–2019 | Unknown | Saif Power Battery |
| 2019–2020 | Noor Enterprise | Saif Power Battery |
| 2020– | Noor Enterprise | Ignite Battery |
Honours
League
- Bangladesh Premier League
- Runners-up (1): 2016
- Bangladesh Championship League
- Champions (1): 2013
- Chittagong Premier League
- Champions (1): 1998–99
- Runners-up (2): 2003–04, 2005–06
Cup
- Independence Cup
- Federation Cup
- Runners-up (1): 2017
Invitational
Notable overseas players
- Players listed below have had senior international cap(s) for their respective countries before, while and/or after playing at Chittagong Abahani. The years indicate the time they played for the club.
| Asia
Africa
North America
|
|
See also
References
- ^ "Bangladesh – Abahani Limited Chittagong". Soccerway.
- ^ . Dhaka Tribune. Archived from the original on 5 June 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
- ^ "Sheikh Kamal Int'l Club Cup football tournament kicks off Oct 20". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
- ^ "Hasina says Chittagong Abahani created history in Bangladesh football". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
- ^ . Daily Sun. 8 May 2016. Archived from the original on 18 March 2017.
- ^ a b বাবার দেখানো পথে. Bangladesh Pratidin (in Bengali). Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- ^ Majida, Ismat (2 December 2018). ব্যবসা ও ক্রীড়াঙ্গনে সফল মানুষ তরফদার রুহুল আমিন. পাঠক নিউজ (in Bengali). Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- ^ সফল ব্যবসায়ী থেকে দুর্দান্ত ফুটবল সংগঠক. Sahos (in Bengali). Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- ^ ইস্ট বেঙ্গলকে হারিয়ে চট্টগ্রাম আবাহনী চ্যাম্পিয়ন. NTV (in Bengali). 30 October 2015. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- ^ ইস্ট বেঙ্গলকে হারিয়ে শিরোপা জিতল চট্টগ্রাম আবাহনী. Bhorer Kagoj (in Bengali). Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- ^ টিকে থাকবে তো চট্টগ্রাম আবাহনী?. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- ^ প্রিমিয়ার লিগের চ্যাম্পিয়ন ও রানার্সআপ দুই আবাহনী ট্রফি পাচ্ছে আজ. The Daily Sangram (in Bengali). Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- ^ চট্টগ্রাম আবাহনীর হারে রানার্সআপ শেখ জামাল. Jugantor (in Bengali). 8 January 2018.
- ^ "Ctg Abahani rope in Manik". The Daily Star. 10 August 2015.
- ^ "Ctg Abhani want Manik to be punished". The Daily Star. 16 March 2016.
- ^ "Chittagong Abahani introduce new foreign coach". The Daily Observer.
- ^ Iqbal, Nair. চট্টগ্রাম আবাহনীর জয়ের স্বস্তি. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). Retrieved 18 November 2022.
- ^ টিটুর সঙ্গে চুক্তি করলো চট্টগ্রাম আবাহনী. Jago News 24 (in Bengali). Retrieved 18 November 2022.
- ^ চট্টগ্রাম আবাহনীতে টিটু. Prothom Alo (in Bengali).
- ^ Hoque, Shishir (30 October 2019). "Maruful, the tactical mastermind". Dhaka Tribune.
- ^ "Titu to coach Ctg Abahani coming season - Sports - observerbd.com". The Daily Observer. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
- ^ "Announcement". Twitter. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
- ^ "Announcement". Twitter. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
- ^ চট্টগ্রাম আবাহনীর হোম ভেন্যু ঢাকায়!. Manab Zamin (in Bengali). Retrieved 27 January 2022.
- ^ পেশাদার লিগ আয়োজনে বঞ্চিত এম এ আজিজ স্টেডিয়াম. The Daily Ittefaq (in Bengali). 27 December 2021. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
External links
- Abahani Chittagong at the BFF