Saif SC

Saif Sporting Club is an association football club based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It currently competes in the Bangladesh Football Premier League, the top flight of Bangladeshi football.[1]

Saif SC
Full nameSaif Sporting Club Limited
FoundedAugust 2016 (August 2016)
GroundRafiq Uddin Bhuiyan Stadium, Mymensingh
Capacity25,000
OwnerSaif Powertec Limited
Managing Director Nasiruddin Chowdhury
Head coach Paul Put
LeagueBangladesh Premier League
2019–20BPL, 5th of 13
WebsiteClub website

The club is owned by Saif Powertec Limited. The main goal of the club is to bring professionalism in every step.

History

Saif Sporting Club formed officially in August 2016. On September 10, 2016 Bangladesh Football Federation gave the green signal to the club to participate in 2016 Bangladesh Championship League.[2][3][4][5]

2015–16 season

The club appointed the Serbian Nikola Kavazovic as their first head coach in September 2016. He was the first ever foreign coach in Bangladesh Championship League history, which is the second-tier football league of the country. Riyadul Hasan Rafi was the first ever captain of the club.

Saif Sporting Club played their first official match against T & T Club on October 29, 2016, during 2016 Bangladesh Championship League. Sumon Ali scored the first ever goal for the club in same match where the club was victorious by 3–1 goal margin.[6]

They finished the league as runners-up and got promoted to Bangladesh Football Premier League.[7] They were unbeaten through the season with six wins and eight draws. Motin Mia scored 5 goals from 12 matches for the club and won the player of the tournament award.[8]

2017–18 season

The club went to Kolkata for their preseason conditioning camp in March 2017. They are the first ever Bangladeshi club to go abroad for preseason camp.[9] On March 22, 2017, they played their first friendly against I-League 2nd Division side Southern Samity, where the match ended with a 2–2 scoreline. Sajid and Sava was the scorer for Saif SC. On March 28 they beat East Bengal F.C. youth team by 1–0. Rahim was the scorer of that winning goal.[10] On April 10, 2017, they played another friendly against East Bengal F.C. youth team and the match ended with 1–1 scoreline. Motin Mia was the scorer from Saif SC.[11]

Serbian coach Nikola Kavazovic was sacked from the club during this pre season camp. The ex-Ghana striker Kim Grant was appointed as new head coach for the club in April 2017.[12]

On April 27, 2017, the club officially announced Ryan Northmore as their assistant coach for upcoming season.[13]

On April 29 the club completed their player registration for upcoming season.[14] The club submitted a list of 27 registered players to BFF, including three foreign footballers. The club also provided seven of their current players – Sazzad, Kabir, Shadin, Saddam, Rafi, Likhon and Rahim – four-year contracts. Pinning down such number of players to long-term contracts is an unusual scene in the country's domestic football scenario. The club named Jamal Bhuyan as the captain. Jamal, the expatriate footballer, signed a 14-month contract with the option of extending the deal. The club also signed national booters Shakil Ahmed, Hemanta Vincent Biswas, Jewel Rana, Ariful Islam and Topu Barman, who was paid the highest. They also recruited Chittagong Abahani youngster and winger Mohammad Ibrahim and Rahmatganj defender Shawkat Russel. Saif Sporting's foreign signings include forwards Hember Valencia and Alvi Fokou Fopa and midfielder Deiner Córdoba.[15]

Saif SC started their 2017 Bangladesh Federation Cup journey with 1–1 goal draw against defending champion Dhaka Abahani.[16] Mohammad Ibrahim scored that only goal for the club. However they lost their next game against Muktijoddha Sangsad KS by 1–0 and were out of the tournament.

On 28 July 2017 Saif Sporting Club played their first professional league game against Dhaka Abahani where they lost the match by a 3–2 margin.[17] On August 5, 2017 the club won their first professional league game against Arambagh KS by 1–0 scoreline. Motin Mia scored the winning goal for the club.[18][19]

On August 7, 2017 the club announced the name of Haitian forward Wedson Anselme as their new foreign recruit for the second leg of the league.[20]

On August 26, 2017 Colombian forward Hember Valencia scored first ever hat-trick for the club against Brothers Union and won the game with 5–0 scoreline during 2017 Bangladesh Football Premier League.[21]

Kim Grant was sacked from the club after the first leg of 2017 Bangladesh Football Premier League. Assistant coach Ryan Northmore replaced him as the new head coach of the club. During mid-season transfer window the club released Colombian Deiner Cordoba and signed Charlie Sheringham (son of former English forward Teddy Sheringham) for the second leg of 2017 Bangladesh Football Premier League.[22][23][24]

Saif Sporting Club played their first match against Dhaka Abahani on 13 November 2017 under the guidance of their new head coach Ryan Northmore and were victorious by 2–1 margin.[25] New foreign recruit Wedson Anselme and Charlie Sheringham both of them scored one goal each in this match for the club on their debut.[26][27]

On 2 January 2018, history was created as Saif Sporting Club beat Sheikh Russel KC 2–1 to qualify for the 2018 AFC Cup playoffs after confirming at least a fourth-place finish in the Bangladesh Premier League and they did it on their professional debut and in just two seasons of emergence.[28] Saif signed Uzbek midfielder Ahror Umarjonov as an Asian foreigner recruit for AFC cup.[29]

On 23 January 2018, Saif made their continental cup debut against Maldivian side TC Sports Club at Bangabandhu National Stadium in 2018 AFC Cup. They lost the match by 0–1 margin. But they were bit unlucky as the whole game was dominated by them and their fours attempts were denied by woodwork.[30] They lost the second leg by 1–3 goals (On aggregate : 1–4) & were out of the tournament. The club also say goodbye 2017–18 Independence Cup from group stage. Due to poor performance in both domestic and continental circuit Head Coach Ryan Northmore was sacked from the club at end of the season.[31]

2018–19 season

On 25 February 2018, The club announced the name of Stewart Hall as their new head coach for 2018–19 season.[32] On 15 April 2018, the club officially introduced Stewart Hall as their new head coach to the fans.[33] On the same day, it was also revealed that Tanzanian Dennis Kitambi will join the club as an assistant coach for the upcoming season.[34] On 1 August 2018, club signed South Korean forward Park Seung-il as their first ever Asian visa foreigner for upcoming league.[35]

On 23 September 2018, Saif Sporting Club clinched the Bodousa Cup title with a 2–0 win over ISL side Jamshedpur FC Reserves in the final at Katchujan Field, Tinsukia. Russian playmaker Denis Bolshakov opened the scoring in the 21st minute before Korean striker Park Seung-il doubled the lead from the penalty spot five minutes from the final whistle and confirm the first ever international silverware for his club.[36]

On 14 October, the club completed their player registration for upcoming season. The club submitted a list of 32 registered players to BFF, including four foreign footballers.[37]

Saif SC started their 2018 Bangladesh Federation Cup journey with a 3–1 goal victory over Team BJMC.[38]

After managing about only two matches as head coach of the club, Stewart Hall leaves the club with mutual understanding. On 7 November 2018, it was revealed that Johnny McKinstry is the new head coach of the club and he is likely to be seen at the dugout during Saif's 2018 Bangladesh Federation Cup quarterfinal match against Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club.[39] Eventually they lost the game by 2-1 goals and were out of the tournament with McKinstry watching from the stands as Assistant Coach Dennis Kitambi was placed in charge of the team on an interim basis. Later British coach Alex McCarthy joined as an assistant of McKinstry.[40] Another British Scott Bowen served as goalkeeping coach of the club during the season.

On 1 December 2018, Jamal Bhuyan's spectacular late free-kick earned Saif Sporting Club a hard-fought 1–0 win over Team BJMC in McKinstry's first match in charge and the inaugural match of 2018 Independence Cup.[41] Saif lost the quarter final against Dhaka Abahani by a solitary goal from Kervens Belfort.[42]

On 19 January 2019, Saif Sporting Club were off to a winning start in the Bangladesh Premier League 2018–19 season as they handed Rahmatganj MFS a 2–1 defeat at Rafiq Uddin Bhuiyan Stadium in Mymensingh.[43]

On 6 April 2019, Saif Sporting Club defeated NoFeL SC 1–0 in the Bangladesh Premier League 2018–19 with a goal from Park Seung-il.[44] This victory saw McKinstry become the Head Coach with the greatest number of competitive victories in the club's history, overtaking both Kavazović and Grant.

2019–20 season

On 3 August 2019, Saif appointed former Real Kashmir F.C. physio Shariq Ahmed as their new head of physiotherapist. On 25 September 2019, Swiss coach Silvio Coray joined the club as a new assistant coach.

On 7 November 2019, Saif Sporting Club have appointed Maldivian Mohamed Nizam as the new head coach ahead of the upcoming football season 2019–20.[45] On 2 January 2020, Mohamed Nizam was sacked from the club due to poor results in 2019–20 Bangladesh Federation Cup.[46]

On 5 January 2020, Drago Mamić named as the new head coach of the club.[47][48]

2020–21 season

On 27 October 2020, Paul Put named as the new head coach of the club.[49] On 6 January 2021, Saif reached their first-ever Federation Cup final, thrashing former finalist Chittagong Abahani by 3-0 goals.[50]

Shirt sponsors
Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
2016–2017 None SAIF Powertec Limited
2017–present SAIF Power Battery

Stadium

Rafiq Uddin Bhuiyan Stadium, Mymensingh is the new home venue of the club from 2018–19 season. The club used Banganbandhu National Stadium as their home venue in first two seasons of their football journey.

Current squad

Saif Sporting Club Limited squad for 2020–21 season.

As of 15 December 2020

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  BAN Pappu Hossain
2 DF  BAN Yeasin Arafat
3 DF  BAN Rahmat Mia
4 MF  UZB Sirozhiddin Rakhmatullaev
5 DF  BAN Riyadul Hasan Rafi
8 FW  NGA John Okoli
10 MF  BAN Shahedul Alam Shahed Sr.
12 MF  BAN Sazzad Hossain
14 MF  BAN Mohammad Al Amin
15 DF  NGA Emmanuel Ariwachukwu
17 FW  BAN Foysal Ahmed Fahim
19 FW  BAN Arifur Rahman
20 FW  BAN Maraz Hossain
21 DF  BAN Imran Hasan Rimon
No. Pos. Nation Player
22 GK  BAN Shanto Kumar Ray
26 DF  BAN Ariful Islam
27 MF  BAN Sagor Hossain
28 MF  BAN Abu Shaeid
29 FW  BAN Rahim Uddin
30 GK  BAN Saiful Islam
31 GK  BAN Emon Hawladar
32 FW  NGA Kenneth Ikechukwu
33 DF  BAN Abid Ahmed
34 MF  BAN Jabed Ahmed
41 DF  BAN Tanvir Hossain
44 DF  BAN Sabuz Hossain
55 DF  BAN Sobug Chandra Das
88 MF  BAN Nayan Miah

Coaching staff

As of 27 October 2020

Position Name
Head Coach Paul Put
Assistant Coach Zulfiker Mahmud Mintu
Goalkeeping Coach Humayun Kabir
Physiotherapist Shariq Ahmed
Debashees Nath
Analyst Abdullah Nasif Islam
Youth Coach Kamal Babu

Coaches

Head Coach's statistics

As of 2 February 2021

Coach From To P W D L GS GA %W
Nikola Kavazovic September 2016 March 2017 14 6 8 0 19 10 042.86
Kim Grant April 2017 October 2017 13 6 5 2 17 8 046.15
Ryan Northmore November 2017 January 2018 15 5 6 4 16 15 033.33
Stewart Hall April 2018 November 2018 2 2 0 0 8 1 100.00
Johnny McKinstry November 2018 September 2019 27 15 5 7 42 28 055.56
Mohamed Nizam October 2019 January 2020 3 1 1 1 4 4 033.33
Drago Mamić January 2020 September 2020 6 3 2 1 8 5 050.00
Paul Put October 2020 Present 11 7 1 3 22 11 063.64

P – Total of played matches W – Won matches D – Drawn matches L – Lost matches GS – Goal scored GA – Goals against
%W – Percentage of matches won

Youth team

For youth football development the club tie up with BKSP and selected twenty players for two years training.[51][52] On August 3, 2017 the club announced the name of Spanish coach Andrés Vargas Fuentes as their U18 head coach.[53] On August 24, 2017 the club announced the name of local renowned coach Kamal Babu as their U16 head coach.[54]

On 18 October 2017, Vargas and Co. clinched the title of One Day Football Festival Tournament in memory of Sheikh Russel, beating Kashaituli Samaj Kalyan Parishad in a penalty shoot-out by 4–3 goals.[55] In 2018 the U16 team qualified for the 2nd division from 3rd division.[56]

Honours

Domestic
Runner-up (1): 2016

Invitational
  • Bodousa Cup
Champion (1): 2018

Performance in AFC competitions

Notable players

Had international caps for their respective countries whilst playing for Saif SC.

References
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  2. "Three new additions in Championship League". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  3. "BCL gets three new teams". New Age. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  4. "Three teams inserted into C'ship League". The Daily Star. 11 September 2016. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  5. "BCL to start Oct 10". Daily Sun. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  6. "Saif Sporting Club off to a flying start". The Daily Star. 30 October 2016.
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  8. "From dye worker to professional footballer". Prothom Alo. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
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