It is frequently argued that the fans have turned their backs on domestic football, especially since the matches of the Bangladesh Premier League and other competitions have been staged in front of virtually empty stadiums year after year. This is especially true given the fact that the domestic football matches have been held in front of almost empty stadiums.
But the tense and exciting Federation Cup final that took place in Cumilla on Tuesday between the two most successful teams in the country, Mohammedan SC and Abahani, disproved this assumption once and for all.
Even though the Shaheed Dhirendranath Datta Stadium was not completely full on a working day, the number of spectators that flocked to the ground still drew attention. In particular, the way in which the fans of both outfits braved the scorching heat to celebrate and cheer every action of the game between two traditional foes who faced off in the Federation Cup final after 14 years captured a lot of people’s attention.
When I saw followers of Mohammedan and Abahani wearing the jerseys of their favorite teams, chanting during the game, and supporting their teams by banging drums and playing flutes, it brought back memories of days gone by. Even more suspicious was the fact that it looked like one of the fans was utilizing a hand mike to direct the following of the whole gallery.
It appeared as though the Abahani supporters were one step ahead of their Mohammedan counterparts when they lit up blue and yellow smoke flares. This only served to demonstrate that the audience’ desire to witness spectacular football duels has not yet subsided.
It was also encouraging to see a sizeable number of younger viewers at the match, many of whom had never seen the hysteria that surrounded Mohammedan-Abahani games during the golden age of football. These younger fans did not witness the mayhem that surrounded the contests between the two teams during the golden period.
After making their comeback to the top flight of football in 2010, a revitalized Sheikh Jamal DC team endeavored to build their own fan base. They were successful in their endeavor, as seen by the large number of supporters that attended their games throughout the first two seasons of the club’s existence. However, even those days belong to a time that is already in the distant past due to the downfall of Sheikh Jamal.
The now-defunct Saif SC followed the same strategy as Sheikh Jamal, and the rising superpower Bashundhara Kings are making similar efforts to build their own fan base by giving away jerseys and supplying their supporters with other amenities. On the other hand, it is arguable whether or not any group could ever amass fan following as rowdy as that of Mohammedan and Abahani.
On their separate social media accounts, Mohammedan SC and Abahani thanked their followers for backing them in the Federation Cup final. The majority of fans promised to stay with their beloved clubs in the next days after receiving the thank you messages from their respective teams. Even some Mohammedan and Abahani supporters have posted supportive remarks on the Facebook pages of their respective competitors.
“It was almost as if I saw a glimpse of the nation’s football from the previous century. “Thanks to Abahani’s favorite opponent Mohammedan for bringing back the childhood memory,” Ekhlasur Rahman Polash said after Abahani posted a post reading: “Today, Abahani supporters brought the passion seen at home ground to a venue outside of Dhaka.
” We are thankful to the fans who kept the gallery in an uproar the entire time, but we are also sorry that we were unable to maintain smiles on the fans’ faces until the very conclusion of the game. But we guarantee that we will return even more powerful than before for all of the passionate Abahani supporters, whose support is the source of our motivation.
“It’s amazing how a football game can provide nonstop excitement from start to finish. It was difficult to tell if the game was being played in Europe or in Bangladesh. In the end, the nail-biting match with eight goals was decided by penalties, 4-2. On the post on Mohammedan SC’s Facebook page thanking the squad and supporters on their victory, Mohammad Raz commented, “Congratulations, Mohammedan! You are the champions!”