Mohammedan SC (Dhaka)
Association football club in Bangladesh
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mohammedan Sporting Club Limited is a Bangladeshi professional football club based in Dhaka. Founded in 1936, it is one of the oldest and the most successful football club in the country, with a support base in all parts of the country.[1] The club currently competes in the Bangladesh Premier League.[2][3][4]
| Full name | Mohammedan Sporting Club Limited | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicknames | The Black & Whites | ||
| Short name | MSC | ||
| Founded | 1936 | ||
| Ground | Shaheed Dhirendranath Datta Stadium | ||
| Capacity | 18,000 | ||
| President | Md Abdul Mubeen | ||
| Head Coach | Abdul Qaium Sentu (Interm) | ||
| League | Bangladesh Football League | ||
| 2024–25 | Bangladesh Football League, 1st of 10 (Champions) | ||
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History


The club began in Hazaribagh. Members of the famed Nawab family of Dhaka wanted to establish a local club for the youth. As a result, Muslim Sports Club came into being in 1927. Nine years later, with Khwaja Ajmal as its president, it was renamed Mohammedan Sporting Club, after its more renowned predecessor the Kolkata Mohammedan.[5][6][7]
Though it was established to create enthusiasm for sports amongst the local Muslim community, the club later broke the race, class and ethnicity barriers and became a crowd favorite.[8]

In the late 1940s, MSC started to flourish with Mohammad Shahjahan at the helm. Shahjahan left Kolkata Mohammedan and came to Bangladesh after the partition of India. The 1950s was a time when Dhaka Wanderers were the top dog in the sporting arena. In 1956, some of their star players and senior officials joined MSC and started restructuring the club. The results were evident as MSC secured their first league title in 1957.[9][10] The same year they won the Independence Cup, thus ensuring their domestic double. The trophies kept coming over the next two decades.[11]
Before independence, Mohammedan also clinched the First Division title in the year of 1959, '61, '63, '66 and '69. It was not easy to find success against teams like Dhaka Wanderers and Victoria SC. Yet, Mohammedan did not yield to failure, they pursued their way. Mohammedan won the Aga Khan Gold Cup for the first time in 1959. They repeated the feat twice, in 1964 and 1968.[12]

On 11 May 1972, Mohammedan played against Indian club Mohun Bagan under captaincy of Zakaria Pintoo, which was the first visit of a foreign team in independent Bangladesh.[13] Dhaka Abahani adds a new dimension to domestic football in the post-independent era. And it begins a new rivalry involving Dhaka Abahani and Dhaka Mohammedan termed Dhaka Derby which took no time to spread the passion and madness throughout the country. Abahani won the league in 1974 and 1977 but the decade, however, belonged to Mohammedan as they got the better of their hardcore rival to win the league in 1975, 1976, 1978 and 1980.

They were unbeaten in the first division league from 8 September 1985 to 15 March 1990. They played 76 league games during those one thousand six hundred and fifty days winning 63 of them and drawing 13 times. They scored 160 and conceded 24 goals.[14] The Black and Whites took the league title three times in a row from 1986 to 1988.[15] They continued their success in the next decade by winning titles in 1993, 1996 & 1999. Mohammedan last won the league in 2002, yet despite the intervening years, they still hold the record for the most league titles in Bangladesh with 19 wins. In the 2024-25 season, Mohammedan finally broke their 22-year league title drought by winning the BPL, securing their first BPL title and their 20th first-tier title overall.
Mohammedan won the Federation Cup eleven times, beating Abahani seven times in the final. They won their last Federation Cup title back in 2023.[16] Mohammedan also won the most expensive domestic football tournament of the country, Super Cup twice by taking the inaugural edition in 2009 and then the one in 2013. Their record attendance for a football game is nearly 45,000 which took place in 2009.[17]
They had their touch on Independence Cup title three times in 1972, 1991 and 2014 with being runners up in 1990 and 2023.
Dhaka Mohammedan was the most dominating force in continental competitions among Bangladeshi clubs as well. They made it to the Asian Club Championship (the then Asian Champions League) semi-final round in 1988 thus becoming the first-ever Bangladeshi club to do so.[18] They participated in this tournament a record six times making it to the finals thrice, a record yet to be matched by any South Asian club.[19]
Rivalries
Dhaka Derby
The Dhaka Derby is a football rivalry between Abahani and Dhaka Mohammedan, although the rivalry was bigger in the past. Dhaka Mohammedan and Dhaka Abahani first met each other during 1973 First Division League. Before Abahani's arrival, Mohammedan were the most dominant force in the country, and overthrew their previous rivals Dhaka Wanderers Club, by becoming the team with most league titles won.
Dhaka Wanderers

Prior independence, the club's main local rival was Dhaka Wanderers. The rivalry dates back to 1956 when Mohammedan acquired numerous players from Dhaka Wanderers, who had left due to internal conflicts within their club. Despite this, Wanderers were crowned champions that year. Both clubs were tied on points, and Mohammedan's refusal to play a playoff final resulted in the league title being awarded to Wanderers. Following their final First Division title in 1960, the rest of the decade saw Mohammedan's dominance. Notably, Wanderers lost the All-Pakistan Mohammad Ali Bogra Memorial Tournament final in 1966, contested by the two Dhaka-based teams in Rawalpindi.[20]
Supporters

The fanbase of Dhaka Mohammedan SC is organized into various supporter groups, most notably MSC Ultras, the ultras group of Dhaka Mohammedan. MSC Ultras play a key role in organizing events and creating a vibrant atmosphere during matches. This group often displays banners, leads chants, and creates coordinated displays, ensuring the team feels supported at every game.[21][22] [23]
Crest and colours
- Club crest, with Bengali alphabet
Stadium
From the 2019–2020 season the club started playing their matches at the 18,000 capacity Bhasha Shoinik Shaheed Dhirendranath Datta Stadium. On 7 March 2020, Mohammedan Sporting Club hogging the spotlight with a 1–0 win over defending champions Bashundhara Kings in their home debut.[citation needed]
Currently the club is using Bhasha Shoinik Shaheed Dhirendranath Datta Stadium as its home venue.[citation needed]
Shirt sponsors
| Period | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | None | Tibet |
| 2008 | None | Fresh Cement |
| 2009–10 | None | NTV |
| 2011–17 | None | Orion Group |
| 2018–19 | Cosco | K–Sports |
| 2020–2021 | Orion Group | |
| 2022 | Sports Apparel Design | Fresh Drinking Water |
| 2022–2023 | Max Group | |
| 2023–2024 | Wings Sportswear | Max Group |
| 2024–2025 |
Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Personnel
Current technical staff
- As of 29 November 2024
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach | |
| Assistant coach | |
| Goalkeeping coach | |
| Team Manager | |
| Assistant manager | |
| Physiotherapist | |
| Masseur | |
Board of directors
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| President | |
| Director in charge | |
| Chairman | |
| Head of Technical Committee | |
| Technical Committee | |
Coaching records
Managerial history
Amanuddin Chowdhury (1972–1973)
Ashraf Chowdhury (1975–1976)
Zakaria Pintoo (1977)
Ashraf Chowdhury (1978–1979)
Golam Sarwar Tipu (1980–1984)
Enayetur Rahman (1985)
Ali Imam (1986)
Pratap Shankar Hazra (1987)
Nasser Hejazi (1987–1992)
Mohammed Kaikobad (1992)
Yulkin Ivanovich (1993)
Golam Sarwar Tipu (1994)
Abu Yusuf (1995)
Kadiri Ikhana (1995)
Abu Yusuf (1995, interim)
Kang Man-young (1996, interim)
Samir Shaker (1997–1998)
Abul Hossain (1998, interim)
Hasanuzzaman Bablu (1999–2000)
Pakir Ali (2001)
Abul Hossain (2001–2004)
Kang Man-young (2004–2005)
Saiful Bari Titu and
Mohammed Ponir (2005, interim)[26]
Jasimuddin Ahmed Joshi (2005)
Shafiqul Islam Manik (2005–2008)[27]
Maruful Haque (2008–2010)
Mohammed Ponir (2010, interim)
Shafiqul Islam Manik (2010–2011)[28]
Emeka Ezeugo (2011–2012)[29][30]
Saiful Bari Titu (2012–2013)
Rui Capela (2013–2014)
Alfaz Ahmed (2014, interim)
Mohammed Jewel Rana (2014, interim)
Jasimuddin Ahmed Joshi (2014–2016)
Mizanur Rahman Dawn (2016, interim)
Abdul Qaium Sentu (2017)
Syed Nayeemuddin (2017)
Rashed Ahmed Pappu (2017–2018)
Christopher Evans (2018–2019)
Ali Asgar Nasir (2019, interim)
Shahidul Islam Jewel (2019, interim)
Sean Lane (2019–2022)
Shafiqul Islam Manik (2022–2023)
Alfaz Ahmed (2023–2026)
Abdul Qaium Sentu (2026–Present, interim)
Managerial statistics
- As of 5 May 2026
| Head coach | Nat. | From | To | P | W | D | L | GS | GA | %W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maruful Haque[31] | July 2008 | 13 May 2010[32] | 61 | 48 | 11 | 2 | 150 | 33 | 78.69 | |
| Rui Capela | 31 December 2013[33] | July 2014 | 29 | 13 | 10 | 6 | 37 | 24 | 44.83 | |
| Alfaz Ahmed^ | May 2014 | May 2014 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100.00 | |
| Mohammed Jewel Rana^ | May 2014 | June 2014 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 100.00 | |
| Jasimuddin Ahmed Joshi[34][35] | 24 November 2014 | 7 October 2016 | 44 | 17 | 13 | 14 | 73 | 52 | 38.64 | |
| Mizanur Rahman Dawn^ | 14 October 2016 | 29 December 2016 | 13 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 15 | 23.08 | |
| Abdul Qaium Sentu[36] | 10 January 2017 | 24 February 2017 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 33.33 | |
| Syed Nayeemuddin[37] | 9 May 2017 | 31 October 2017 | 14 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 21 | 17 | 42.86 | |
| Rashed Ahmed Pappu^ | November 2017 | February 2018 | 13 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 14 | 14 | 30.77 | |
| Christopher Evans[38] | 19 September 2018 | 3 January 2019 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 16.67 | |
| Ali Asgar Nasir^[39] | 3 January 2019 | 16 February 2019 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 20.00 | |
| Shahidul Islam Jewel[40]^ | 18 February 2019 | 4 March 2019 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 0.00 | |
| Sean Lane[41] | 4 April 2019 | 28 May 2022 | 75 | 32 | 23 | 20 | 112 | 89 | 42.67 | |
| Shafiqul Islam Manik[42] | 5 June 2022 | 24 February 2023 | 24 | 10 | 6 | 8 | 47 | 29 | 41.67 | |
| Alfaz Ahmed[43] | 25 February 2023 | 10 April 2026 | 80 | 42 | 23 | 15 | 163 | 84 | 52.50 | |
| Abdul Qaium Sentu^[44] | 11 April 2026 | Present | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 3 | 80.00 |
^– Interim
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
Season by season record
Professional league (2007–present)
| Record as Bangladesh Premier League member | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Division | League | Federation Cup | Independence Cup | Asian club competition | Top league scorer(s) | |||||||||
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | Position | Player | Goals | ||||||
| 2007 | B.League | 20 | 11 | 7 | 2 | 40 | 13 | 40 | Runners-up | — | — | — | 14 | ||
| 2008/09 | B.League | 20 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 42 | 12 | 44 | Runners-up | Champions | 18 | ||||
| 2009/10 | B.League | 24 | 19 | 5 | 0 | 63 | 12 | 62 | Runners-up | Champions | 19 | ||||
| 2010 | BPL | 22 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 26 | 26 | 30 | 6th | Group Stage | Semi-finals | 12 | |||
| 2011/12 | BPL | 20 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 33 | 21 | 34 | 3rd | Group Stage | — | 7 | |||
| 2012/13 | BPL | 16 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 17 | 17 | 25 | 5th | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | 12 | |||
| 2013/14 | BPL | 27 | 12 | 9 | 6 | 36 | 25 | 45 | 4th | Quarter-finals | Champions | 15 | |||
| 2014/15 | BPL | 20 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 38 | 17 | 38 | 3rd | Semi-finals | — | 17 | |||
| 2015/16 | BPL | 22 | 3 | 11 | 8 | 20 | 29 | 20 | 10th | Group Stage | Group Stage | 8 | |||
| 2017/18 | BPL | 22 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 31 | 26 | 32 | 5th | Quarter-finals | Group Stage | 13 | |||
| 2018/19 | BPL | 24 | 6 | 7 | 11 | 31 | 40 | 25 | 9th | Group Stage | Group Stage | 8 | |||
| 2019/20 | BPL | Abandoned | Semi-finals | — | 3 | ||||||||||
| 2020/21 | BPL | 24 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 36 | 25 | 43 | 6th | Quarter-finals | 13 | ||||
| 2021/22 | BPL | 22 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 39 | 26 | 33 | 5th | Semi-finals | Group Stage | 21 | |||
| 2022/23 | BPL | 20 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 38 | 21 | 32 | 4th | Champion | Quarter-finals | 16 | |||
| 2023/24 | BPL | 18 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 40 | 17 | 35 | Runners-up | Runners-up | Runners-up | 17 | |||
| Champions | Runners-up | Third place | Promoted | Relegated |
Honours
| Type | Competitions | Titles | Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic | Bangladesh Football League | 1 | 2024–25 |
| Dhaka First Division/Premier Division League | 19 | 1957, 1959, 1961, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1969, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1986, 1987, 1988–89, 1993, 1996, 1999, 2002[45] | |
| National League | 2 | 2001–02, 2005–06 | |
| Federation Cup | 11 | 1980*, 1981, 1982*, 1983, 1987, 1989, 1995, 2002, 2008, 2009, 2022–23 | |
| Independence Cup | 3 | 1972, 1991, 2014 | |
| Super Cup | 2 | 2009, 2013 | |
| Independence Day Tournament | 6 | 1958, 1960,[46] 1961*, 1963*, 1965, 1966* | |
| DMFA Cup | 3 | 1984*, 1993, 1995[47] |
Invitational
Ma-O-Moni Gold Cup
- Winners (1): 1990
All-Pakistan Mohammad Ali Bogra Memorial Tournament
All Airlines Gold Cup
- Winners (1): 1999[50]
Ashis-Jabbar Shield Tournament
- Winners (1): 1982
Bordoloi Trophy
- Runners-up (1): 1989[51]
J.C. Guha Memorial Trophy
- Runners-up (1): 1988
IFA Shield
- Runners-up (1): 1995[52]
Continental
Performance in AFC competitions
- Asian Club Championship/AFC Champions League: 6 appearances
- 1987 : Qualifying Round
- 1988–89 : Semi Final League
- 1989–90 : Qualifying Round
- 1990–91 : Quarter Final Leaue
- 1991 : Group Stage
- 1997–98 : First Round
- Asian Cup Winners' Cup: 4 appearances
- AFC Cup: 1 appearance
- 2006 : Group Stage
Notable players
- The players below had senior international cap(s) for their respective countries. Players listed represented their countries before or after playing for Mohammedan Sporting Club (Dhaka).
Asia
Sheikh Shaheb Ali (1938)[53]
Ashraf Chowdhury (1950; 1956–63)[54]
Amir Jang Ghaznavi (1956–63)[55]
Fazlur Rahman Arzu (1956–1958)[56]
Kabir Ahmed (1956–58; 1960–66)[57]
Mari Chowdhury (1957–58; 1961–62)[58]
Nabi Chowdhury (1958)[59]
Debinash Sangma (1958–59; 1961–65; 1968–69)[60]
Abid Hussain Ghazi (1959–66)[61]
Muhammad Irshad (1960)[62]
Zahirul Haque (1960–76)[63]
Abdullah Rahi (1960–61; 1964–70)[64]
Turab Ali (1965–68)[65]
Ghulam Abbas Baloch (1961)[66]
Abdul Ghafoor (1961; 1965–68; 1977)[67][68]
Moosa Ghazi (1962–68)[69]
Balai Dey (1962; 1963–64)[70][71][72]
Qayyum Changezi (1963)[73]
Muhammad Amin (1964)[74]
Khandoker Mohammad Nurunnabi (1965–70)[75]
Qadir Bakhsh (1967)[76]
Hafizuddin Ahmed (1967–78)[77]
Abdul Jabbar (1967–68)[78]
Maula Bakhsh (1968)[79]
Golam Sarwar Tipu (1968–72; 1975–79)[80]
Ali Nawaz Baloch (1969)[81]
Ayub Dar (1970)
Mohammed Rahmatullah (1963–64)[82]
Khare Basnet (1980)[83]
Ganesh Thapa (1981–82; 1985–86)[84]
Nasser Hejazi (1987)[85]
Morteza Yekkeh (1987)[86]
Bijan Taheri (1988–89)[85]
Reza Naalchegar (1987–89)
Ronnachai Sayomchai (1988)
Azamat Abduraimov (1991–92)[87]
Wangay Dorji (2000)[88]
Africa
Emeka Ezeugo (1987–89)[89]
Ousmane Berthé (2019–20)[90]
Yassan Ouatching (2021)
Sunday Emmanuel (2023–2025)
See also
Notes
- The competition is widely regarded as the predecessor of AFC Champions League (held for the first time in 1967), since it was the first organized international competition that involved club teams around Asia, organized by the football authorities of East Pakistan, in collaboration with Asian Football Confederation (AFC).