CFA Colts team enter the Agha Khan Gold Cup football final
In the early part of 1968, when the Senior National squad was in vacation with no signs of any foreseeable engagement in football, the Colombo Football League was preparing its team to take part in the Delhi Cloth Mill Tournament.
Piyadasa Perera was a member of that memorable team
Most of the senior National Players had been called up by Albert Fernando, the Coach for this important fixture. During this period the Ceylon Football Association received a cable from the Pakistan Football Federation inviting the National team of Ceylon to participate in the prestigious Agha Khan Gold Cup Tournament to be held in Dacca then East Pakistan.
Neville Abeygunawardane was assigned to coach the team with short notice to participate in this tournament. His initial reaction was obviously unresponsive, since the National players were not in training and most of the key players were going to Delhi with the Colombo Football league team. Though he had the right to call these players for National duty, he did not through fairness to the Colombo Football League, which had gone a long way to mould the side. However to a request made by the Chief Magistrate B.G.S. David, President of the Controlling Body, Neville Abeygunawardena agreed and suggested that he will take a CFA Colts team not the National team, which in his view, would not only give exposure to many of the youngsters knocking at the door for national honours but also create a National second string that would naturally augur well for the future of the sport. Since there were no options Mr David reluctantly agreed to Neville’s idea.
Only two weeks remained between the invitation and the competition itself and with a certain, degree of trepidation Neville finally trained to field a Colts team. Some of the new faces amongst a sprinkling of seniors were Judy Preena, Nelson Perera, P. Ananda, Rajasingham, Ananda Peiris, T. Wanigaratne and Cassim. In the limited space of training, Neville felt a strong breath of confidence with the new faces showing up admirably. Moving in the deep, mid and upfront with sureness and precision, they combined effectively with the seniors. We arrived in Dacca, East Pakistan-–to a tumultuous welcome.
Amongst champion teams of the host country, the National team of Indonesia was also taking part. The late P.M. Sheriff and T.A. Sukoor went as Manager and Assistant. The new look Ceylon Colts team had decisive victories in the preliminary round matches and the quarter final clash therefore looked a real blockbuster. Preena and Nelson, the babes of our team were already favourites among the crowds, with the former aggressive and blatantly arrogant in play, and Nelson a crafty artiste of sheer skill. Having won this crucial clash, the high riding Colts were naturally the talk of Dacca A. Zainulabdeen, who skippered the team, was far from ideal shape, having had a long layoff through injury, but his judicious moves on the field more than compensated for physical shortcomings. Mahinda
Sri Lanka’s performance at international level has not been equaled ever since 1968. - File Pic
Aluvihare P.H.S. Albert, Vincent, Fernando, Halideen, myself, S.P. De Silva, T. Amidon and Piyadasa Perera inspired the youngster by their usual steady intelligent play. In the history of this international competition, our fully fledged National teams in the past had poor success having only once reached the quarter finals. The semi-final match amidst a crowd of well over 60000 riotous fans was played almost in spasms of frenzy and fury! At the long whistle, the match ended a draw and then went into extra time.
A very queer decision indeed! by Neville who made a positional change, taking into account the nature of the extra robust play witnessed in P.H.S. Albert – our iron man in the half time, he was moved up as a dual centre forward, to combine with belligerent Judy, and I was shifted to the left flank, along with Zainulabdeen to do the long banana lobs over the opposing midfield defenders. In the first session of extra time, connecting one such lob, Albert swung a fierce right foot drive which caught the diving goalie flush on his face, causing the keeper to be carried on a stretcher with a deep gash.
In the final session of extra time Albert, receiving an identical high lob from Zainulabdeen, saw the reserve keeper hesitate in narrowing the angle and smashed the ball into the net, in the process both Albert and the keeper too end –up inside the net, in the process both Albert and the keeper too end-up inside the net, placing Ceylon, for the first time, in the Agha Khan Gold Cup Finals. The fury of the Semi-final clash had a heavy toll on our players, at the end Amidon had his leg sutured, Mahinda and I were treated for deep cut and ankle injury, while Vincent Fernando could not move his right leg effectively due to a heavily swollen gland. The Final was on the next day and we could not raise a team worthy of our earlier performance. In the face of the spate of injuries caused to our players and the need for medical attention and rest, we requested for a postponement which was not allowed. We lost the Final 3-0 to Dacca Mohamadens East Pakistan whom we held to a scoreless draw in the quarter-final. However we proudly brought home the elegant runner-up trophy, which performance has not been equaled ever since in this tournament.
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