Football club
Gopalganj Sporting Club (Bengali: গোপালগঞ্জ স্পোর্টিং ক্লাব) is a Bangladeshi professional football club based in Gopalganj. The club was set compete in the Bangladesh Premier League, the top tier of Bangladeshi football league system, after being promoted from the Bangladesh Championship League in the 2022–23 season. However, on 18 October 2023, the club announced its withdrawal from the league due to financial shortages.[1]
Gopalganj Sporting Club was established in 2021, and the club's first president, Gazi Hafizur Rahman Liku is also the assistant private secretary of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and both of their families reside from Gopalganj District. Former Bangladesh national team captain, Elias Hossain, who is the first and only international player originating from the district, also played an integral part in the club's formation.[2]
In 2021, the Bangladesh Football Federation gave the club permission to play in the professional second-tier league, the Bangladesh Championship League from the 2021–22 season,[3] without having to play in the semi-professional lower divisions, despite reports of the club not having the proper accommodation required to play in country's the professional league.[4] On 20 February 2022, the club played its first league game, which ended in a goalless draw with Fortis FC.[5] On 11 March 2022, Mohammed Nahian scored the clubs first goal, coming in a 1–1 draw with Wari Club.[6] On 18 March 2022, the club registered its first victory by defeating Farashganj SC, 2–1.[7] Eventually, their first domestic league season ended with a 5th-place finish.
The club began the 2022–23 season with three straight victories. On 11 April 2023, the club guaranteed a minimum 3rd-place finish in the league table and due to second place BFF Elite Academy being non eligible for either promotion or relegation, Gopalganj were promoted to the Bangladesh Premier League for the first time in history from 2023 to 2024 season.[2][8]
While playing in the Bangladesh Championship League from 2022 till 2023 they used the 25,000 capacity BSSS Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Kamalapur, Dhaka, which was the central venue used by all second-tier clubs. Following, promotion to Bangladesh Premier League, the team manager, SM Mamunur Rashid, confirmed that they would be using the 5,000 capacity Sheikh Fazlul Haque Mani Stadium in Gopalganj as their home venue.[2]
Gopalganj Sporting Club squad for 2022–23 season.
- As of 16 January 2023
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Abdur Razzaque (January 2022 – June 2022)- Saifur Rahman Moni (December 2022 – October 2023)
Managerial statistics
[edit]- As of 19 April 2023
| Head Coach
|
From
|
To
|
P
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
GF
|
GA
|
%W
|
| Abdur Razzaque
|
20 January 2022
|
13 June 2022
|
22
|
8
|
7
|
7
|
20
|
20
|
036.36
|
| Saifur Rahman Moni
|
21 December 2022
|
18 October 2023
|
20
|
11
|
1
|
8
|
33
|
27
|
055.00
|
Current technical staff
[edit]- As of 8 February 2024
| Position
|
Name
|
| Head coach
|
Vacant
|
| Team leader
|
Md Mashinur Rahman Khan
|
| Team manager
|
SM Mamun Or Rashid
|
| Assistant manager
|
Abul Hossain Pappu
|
| Assistant coach
|
A.B.M. Meheid Habib
|
| Goalkeeping coach
|
Shamsuzzaman Yusuf
|
| Fitness trainer
|
Jewel Mahmud
|
| Masseur
|
Sohel
Sumon
|
- As of 6 June 2023
| Position
|
Name
|
| President
|
Gazi Hafizur Rahman Liku
|
| General Secretary
|
Mohammed Hira
|
Abdur Razzaque