All set to kick off the country’s top level football competition the TVS Bangladesh Premier League Football from today with 12 teams are participating in the contest.
Two matches will take place in the opening day at two different venues with the reigning champions Banshundhara King will take on the newly promoted Swadhinota Krira Sangha at the Shahid Ahsan Ullah Master Stadium, Tongi.
The other match of the day between the runners up Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club and Uttar Baridhara Club will take place at the Bir Sreshtha Flight Lt. Matiur Rahman Stadium, Munshiganj.
Among the 12 teams, this time at least four teams will vie for the title when the reigning champions Bashundhara Kings and third positioned Abahani Limited are the leading contenders to lift the trophy of the most prestigious domestic soccer competition.
All the teams’ captain and the officials expressed their high hopes during the logo unveiling ceremony last week to finish the league on a respected place in the league.
In the Independence Cup and the Federation Cup, the warm up tournaments of the league most of the top teams remarkably struggled much against the minnows.
Some of the favourite teams failed to justify their distinction, as they could not move into the final and even some of them failed to qualify in the knockout stage when they went down to the low budgeted teams.
Bashundhara Kings, who have been dominating for last three seasons and were the top favourites indeed, had to struggle much in the season’s opener Independence Cup to move into the final when they just escaped with 2-1 win over Bangladesh Police in the semifinal and went down to Abahani Limited by 3-0 in the final.
The traditional black and white, Mohammedan Sporting Club took exit from the group stage when Sheikh Jamal and Sheikh Russel, also the big names could not cross the first round.
In the Federation Cup also the big names could not shine in accordance with their recognition as Rahmatganj MFS played the final outshining the top favourites and the title contenders.
Predictably, this time the title contenders will have to face huge challenge on their way to reach the target and it turned very much tough for the favourites to easy going.
But it can be anticipated that Abahani Limited, six times winners of the Professional Football League, who began the year with winning both the season’s first two trophies, obviously will not leave any stone unturned to win hat-trick trophy.
Bashundhara Kings, the defending champions will also try to leave any space for others to win the league championship for third time in a row.
