Footballers of Dhaka Wanderers are happy. They participated in the selfie festival. Officials are also hugging each other and congratulating each other. This unprecedented scene was seen at the Kamalapur stadium this evening. It is hard to remember the last time the Dhaka Wanderers Club had such joy on the football field. The joy of the players and officials of the club is to return to the top football of the country after almost 20 years.
The Wanderers played against Buff’s Elite Academy at the Kamalapur Stadium today on the last day of the second tier Championship League of the professional league. If the match is drawn, they will be runners-up with 24 points from 14 matches and will be promoted to the premiership, even if they lose by 2 goals, they will have the opportunity to play in the professional league for the first time – that is the equation today. In the end, the loose match at the Kamalapur Stadium ended in a goalless draw. And that’s the dream of Wanderers.
Fakirerpool Youngmen’s Club became champions yesterday with 27 points from 14 matches in the championship league. They have moved up to the professional league. In 2016, the club won the championship league and promoted to the professional league, but did not play due to financial problems. However, the club officials said that they will play this time. Two new clubs – Fakirpool Youngmen and Dhaka Wanderers – will be promoted to the next professional league.
Founded in 1937, Wanderers were the football superpower of Dhaka in the fifties and sixties. At that time the Wanderers-Mohammedan match was an added attraction. Wanderers won the Dhaka League in 1953 and ’54. The team was leading the league in 1955 as well. But the league of services did not end due to floods. The following year Wanderers were champions. Wanderers might have won four leagues in a row if that league had not been abandoned due to floods.
After independence the club could not keep pace with their traditions. Day by day has gone into hiding. Due to poor organizational conditions, opportunistic organizers took advantage of the club’s reputation. Wanderers and Fakirpool are among the six clubs involved in the casino scandal in 2019. Both clubs were locked for a long time. Putting that stigma aside, both clubs have returned to top football. The champions and runners-up trophies were awarded to both clubs in the Championship League.
Coach Abu Yusuf has played a leading role in returning Wanderers to top football. The former defender of the national team is very emotional about it. He first said how much he had to fight with the hostile environment to come so far, ‘The environment in football, you have to fight with the opponent on the field, you also have to fight with the team behind the scenes. The main obstacle in football is this behind-the-scenes team. That team has preferred players, preferred system, the coach has no role to play here. It’s sad. I cannot be compromised with anything that goes against football. I didn’t compromise. That’s why I was able to come so far.’
Such an opportunity comes very rarely in a coach’s life. Yusuf said that he finished the league with the Wanderers, ‘I was biting the ground at the end. What happens behind the scenes, I protest. For which see where I am today? I’m not supposed to be here!’
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Bangabandhu also once played in Wanderers football team. Sheikh Kamal played in Wanderers basketball team. A club that has lost its way has at least managed to return to top football by holding his hand. Expressing that feeling, Abu Yusuf said, ‘I am fortunate to be able to keep myself as the Kandari of this team. Bangabandhu played in this team. The club should use that.’
We will try to build a good team in the next season in the professional league, Kamal Hossain, general secretary of Wanderers, said while standing at the Kamalapur Stadium, ‘We have had to go through many ups and downs. Remember, last in 2003, we rose from the then Dhaka First Division to Premier. Then it went down again in 2006 (in 2005). It feels great to be back now. Our president Kazi Shahidullah Liton wanted to bring the team to the professional league. We succeeded in that.’
