Colombo FC retain title with 3-1 win over Renown
Action from the final - Pix by M.A. Pushpakumara
The management of Colombo Football Club (CFC) decided to award their players a special Bonus for winning the Dialog Champions League for the 2nd successive year.
The CFC, inaugurated in 2008, is the only team to have reached professional status in Sri Lanka.
CFC is made up of former and current National players, school players and foreign players. To date, CFC has won two major National tournaments- The FA Cup and the Dialog Champions League. CFC’s first championship was the Silver Cup in 2010, defeating Java Lane 3-2. The FA Cup was won in 2014, defeating Blue Star 1-0 in the final. CFC is affiliated to the City Football League, and is managed by Expo Lanka Co. (ELC) with most of their players employed at ELC.
The team has also qualified for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) on two occasions. In the 2016 competition, CFC lost two matches to Mohun Bagan, Kolkata, 1-2 in the 1st Leg in Colombo, and 2-0 in the return in Kolkota.
Team Manager is A. Sampoo, Head Coach is M.S.M. Roomy, and the Skipper is Rauhmy Mohammed.
According to CFC’s Manager and Coach, the team is well disciplined, while the Company’s management keeps a close check on the players’ welfare, which is the secret of their success.
There are three foreign players in the side- 2 from Nigeria and 1 from Ivory Coast. They are provided with all facilities and a monthly salary of LKR 65,000.
ELC pays Rs 500,000 for team expenses, and has now decided to pay Rs 50,000 to each player for winning the title this year.
In the Dialog Premier League Round, they played 8 matches, winning 5 and losing 3, and were placed 3rd in the Points Table. Thus qualifying for the Super 8 Round, from 18 teams.
In the Super 8 Round they played 7 matches and lost 0-1, only to Blue Star, while beating Solid SC 3-0,
Air Force 2-1, Army 2-0, Navy 3-1, and drew 0-0 with New Youngs.
CFC were in 3rd spot until the final day, when 2nd placed Blue Star lost 7-3 to Army, and thus entered the final with Renown, which they won 3-1, to clinch
the title.
Team: M.R. Mohideen, K.A.D. Madushanka, David Oshadi, Afis Olayami, M.Z. Johar, H.V.N. Kanishka, R.M.V. Kumarasiri, M.N.N. Meera, M.H.M. Ramees, Y.S.J.F. Momas, M.N.M. Imran, M.S. Jein, S.S. Roche, M.N.A. Mohammed, A.R.A. Shazny, M.S. Osman, S. Yusuf, M.M.M. Mufeez, F.M.A. Mohammed, M.L.M. Haslan.
Colombo FC retained the Dialog Champions League