The 2007 B.League was the 31st season of top-flight football in Bangladesh, and inaugural season of the country's first professional national football league, the B.League. The competitions included a total of 11 teams from which 8 were based in Dhaka, 2 from Chittagong and 1 team from Khulna. Sylhet DSA who were supposed to represent Sylhet withrew a month before the league began and the Bangladesh Football Federation decided against replacing them.[1][2]
 | |
| Season | 2007 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 2 March — 1 August |
| Champions | Abahani Limited Dhaka |
| AFC President's Cup | Abahani Limited Dhaka |
| Matches played | 110 |
| Goals scored | 273 (2.48 per match) |
| Top goalscorer |  Junior Obagbemiro (16 goals) |
| Biggest home win | Mohammedan SC 7–0 Chittagong Mohammedan SC (20 June 2007) |
| Biggest away win | Rahmatganj MFS 0–7 Abahani Limited Dhaka (23 June 2007) |
| Highest scoring | Mohammedan SC 7–1 Rahmatganj MFS (13 April 2007) |
2008–09 → | |
Previously, the Dhaka League, also known as the Senior Division League, was the country's top-tier football competition. However, it was not held after the 2004–05 season, which ended on 12 September 2005.[3][4] Consequently, before the introduction of the professional league, the country went almost 18 months without any top-tier league football. Excluding the three relegated teams (Dhaka Wanderers, Fakirerpool YMC, and Dipali JS), seven teams from the previous top-flight season, along with Rahmatganj MFS, Chittagong Mohammedan SC, Chittagong Abahani, and Khulna Abahani SC, made up the inaugural season of the professional league.
Initially the season was set to start from January 2006 as part of The Vision Asia project guided by AFC.[5] However, after numerous delays the transfer window was opened on 15 December 2006.[6] The ceremonial draw for the competition was held on 22 February 2007.[7] On 28 February 2007, Channel i were given the rights to broadcast 40 matches from the league.[8] The league kicked off on 2 March 20007, with Abahani Limited Dhaka and Muktijoddha Sangsad KC playing out a goalles draw.[9] The a month-long mid-season transfer window opned on 16 May 2007.[10]
The league concluded on 1 August 2007, with Abahani Limited Dhaka winning the inaugural season.[11]
Teams edit
Initially, 12 teams were set to participate in the league; however, Sylhet DSA withdrew. The Dhaka Senior Division League, which was last held in 2004–05, served as the previous top-tier league. Excluding the three relegated clubs, the remaining seven clubs from that season, along with the 2004–05 Dhaka First Division League (second-tier from 1993 to 2005) champions, Rahmatganj MFS, were granted entry into the league.[12] Additionally, three clubs—Chittagong Mohammedan SC, Chittagong Abahani and Khulna Abahani SC—received direct entry into the league.[13]
Personnel and sponsoring edit
| Team | Head Coach |
|---|---|
| Arambagh KS |  Kazi Jolly
|
| Brothers Union |  Syed Nayeemuddin
|
| Chittagong Abahani | Sawpan Kumar Das
|
| Chittagong Mohammedan | Nazrul Islam Ledu
|
| Abahani Limited Dhaka | Amalesh Sen
|
| Mohammedan SC | Shafiqul Islam Manik
|
| Farashganj SC | Mir Mohammed Faruque
|
| Khulna Abahani | Hemayet Ullah
|
| Muktijoddha Sangsad KC | Abu Yusuf
|
| Rahmatganj MFS | Motaleb Hossain
|
| Sheikh Russel KC | Wazed Gazi
|
Coaching changes edit
| Team | Outgoing head coach | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming head coach | Date of appointment | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abahani Limited Dhaka |  Andres Cruciani
|
Mutual Consent | 7 May 2007 | 1 | Amalesh Sen
|
8 May 2007 | [14] |
League table edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abahani Limited Dhaka (C) | 20 | 14 | 5 | 1 | 36 | 8 | +28 | 47 | Qualification for the AFC President's Cup group stage |
| 2 | Mohammedan Sporting Club | 20 | 11 | 7 | 2 | 40 | 13 | +27 | 40 | |
| 3 | Muktijoddha Sangsad | 20 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 29 | 19 | +10 | 33 | |
| 4 | Sheikh Russel | 20 | 8 | 9 | 3 | 23 | 13 | +10 | 33 | |
| 5 | Brothers Union | 20 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 32 | 19 | +13 | 29 | |
| 6 | Arambagh Krira Sangha | 20 | 8 | 3 | 9 | 22 | 23 | −1 | 27 | |
| 7 | Chittagong Mohammedan Sporting Club | 20 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 20 | 26 | −6 | 26 | |
| 8 | Farashganj SC | 20 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 17 | 22 | −5 | 22 | |
| 9 | Khulna Abahani SC | 20 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 21 | 43 | −22 | 16 | |
| 10 | Chittagong Abahani | 20 | 4 | 3 | 13 | 18 | 39 | −21 | 15 | |
| 11 | Rahmatganj MFS | 20 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 15 | 48 | −33 | 13 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions
Statistics edit
There have been 273 goals scored in 110 matches, for an average of 2.48 goals per match. Source: archive.bff.com.bd
Top scorers edit
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Junior Obagbemiro
|
Brothers Union | 16 |
| 2 | Paul Mawachukwu
|
Mohammedan SC | 14 |
| 3 | Christina Emeka
|
Mohammedan SC | 12 |
| Zahid Hasan Ameli
|
Abahani Limited Dhaka | ||
| 5 | Alfaz Ahmed
|
Muktijoddha Sangsad KS | 8 |
 Nicodemus Anunda Gichana
|
Arambagh KS | ||
| Mohamed Hedayetullah Robin
|
Farashganj SC | ||
| 8 |  Touati Younes
|
Sheikh Russel KC | 7 |
| 9 |  Abraham Bobby
|
Chittagong Abahani | 6 |
 Awudu Ibrahim
|
Abahani Limited Dhaka | ||
 Iddi Badambuze
|
Arambagh KS | ||
| Saifur Rahman Moni
|
Muktijoddha Sangsad KS |
Own goals edit
† Bold Club indicates winner of the match
| Player | Club | Opponent | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sharif Khan |
Arambagh KS | Brothers Union | 1–3 | 3 April 2007 |
| Mamun Khan |
Farashganj SC | Rahmatganj MFS | 1–1 | 3 April 2007 |
Hat-tricks edit
| Player | For | Against | Result | Date | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alfaz Ahmed |
Muktijoddha Sangsad KC | Rahmatganj MFS | 4–1 (N) | 27 March 2007 | [15] |
| Junior Obagbemiro |
Brothers Union | Rahmatganj MFS | 6–2 (N) | 10 May 2007 | [16] |
| Christina Emeka |
Mohammedan SC | Chittagong Mohammedan SC | 7–0 (H) | 7 June 2007 | [17] |
| Junior Obagbemiro4 |
Brothers Union | Khulna Abahani SC | 5–0 (A) | 10 June 2007 | [18] |
| Zahid Hasan Ameli4 |
Abahani Limited Dhaka | Rahmatganj MFS | 7–0 (N) | 7 June 2007 | [19] |
| Christina Emeka |
Mohammedan SC | Rahmatganj MFS | 3–1 (N) | 7 July 2007 | [20] |
Awards edit
A prize distribution ceremony was held by the Bangladesh Football Federation on 5 August 2007.[21]
Individual edit
| Award | Player | Club | Reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highest Scorer | Junior Obagbemiro | Brothers Union | Tk 25,000 |
| Best Player | Zahid Hasan Ameli | Abahani Limited Dhaka | Tk 25,000 |
| Fair Play Trophy | Chittagong Mohammedan SC |
Prize Money edit
| Position | Club | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|
| Champions | Abahani Limited Dhaka | Tk 5 lakh |
| Runners-up | Mohammedan SC | Tk 3 lakh |
| Third place | Muktijoddha Sangsad KC | Tk 2 lakh |
| Fourth place | Sheikh Russel KC | Tk 1 lakh |
References edit
- ^ "The Daily Star Web Edition Vol. 5 Num 950". archive.thedailystar.net.
- ^ "The Daily Star Web Edition Vol. 5 Num 955". archive.thedailystar.net.
- ^ "No football this year". archive.thedailystar.net. Archived from the original on 28 October 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
- ^ "Booters demand Dhaka League". The Daily Star. 6 November 2007. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ "The Daily Star Web Edition Vol. 5 Num 241". archive.thedailystar.net.
- ^ "The Daily Star Web Edition Vol. 5 Num 956". archive.thedailystar.net.
- ^ "The Daily Star Web Edition Vol. 5 Num 972". archive.thedailystar.net.
- ^ "The Daily Star Web Edition Vol. 5 Num 977". archive.thedailystar.net.
- ^ "The Daily Star Web Edition Vol. 5 Num 980". archive.thedailystar.net.
- ^ "The Daily Star Web Edition Vol. 5 Num 1036". archive.thedailystar.net.
- ^ "The Daily Star Web Edition Vol. 5 Num 1128". archive.thedailystar.net.
- ^ "The Daily Star Web Edition Vol. 5 Num 948". archive.thedailystar.net.
- ^ "B. League 2006-2007". archive.bff.com.bd. Retrieved 2023-09-08.
- ^ "The Daily Star Web Edition Vol. 5 Num 1041". archive.thedailystar.net. Archived from the original on September 8, 2023.
- ^ "Russel, Mukti smile". archive.thedailystar.net. Archived from the original on August 8, 2023.
- ^ "The Daily Star Web Edition Vol. 5 Num 1045". archive.thedailystar.net.
- ^ "The Daily Star Web Edition Vol. 5 Num 1086". archive.thedailystar.net.
- ^ "The Daily Star Web Edition Vol. 5 Num 1076". archive.thedailystar.net.
- ^ "The Daily Star Web Edition Vol. 5 Num 1089". archive.thedailystar.net.
- ^ "The Daily Star Web Edition Vol. 5 Num 1097". archive.thedailystar.net.
- ^ "The Daily Star Web Edition Vol. 5 Num 1133". archive.thedailystar.net.