After completing the much-publicised inter-club players' transfers, their attention is firmly focused on getting their players into shape ahead of the October 25 Federation Cup.

Nevertheless, newly crowned National League champions Muktijoddha Sangsad Krira Chakra have begun searching for a top quality defender.

"Because we have enough time to look for players from abroad, we can prepare our local selection. But I still think we could strengthen our defence with another foreigner besides Charles Ghansa. Most probably we will choose an African," said coach Shafiqul Islam Manik while talking to The Daily Star Sport yesterday.

The successful Muktijoddha coach informed that the Reds would start their practice camp from Sunday at the Rajarbagh Police Lines ground.

Big-spenders Brothers Union, who stole the limelight with the capture of the cream of Dhaka football, was yet to be satisfied in their burning ambition to clinch the coveted title.

The Gopibagh outfit, whose sensational coup lured the top ten players from Mohammedan Sporting Club, Muktijoddha and Abahani, are instead eyeing a foreign coach.

"We have talked to a Nigerian and a Yugoslav but a final decision will be made after September 29," said Brothers manager Amir Khan.

He also said that the club intends to hire a few Africa-based players.

"Our main target is to clinch the league title and to assess our strengths and weaknesses, We will experiment with our foreign recruits in the Federation Cup," said the former player adding that their camp would kick-off from October 1 at the BKSP.

Title aspirants Abahani, however, are wasting no time as they practised at their Dhanmondi ground yesterday.

The players got together for the first time since losing in the National Football League semifinals. Russian coach Anatoly supervised the session.

Abahani, considered the second best team on paper strength-wise after Brothers Union, are making some serious efforts to add a touch flair to go with Brazilian midfielder Sandro.

An upbeat Ashraf-Uddin Chunnu expressed the same view as others on chasing foreign players.

"Although we have two players (Sandro and Nigerian defender Syila), we need to buy more quality footballers but we won't recruit foreign players without weighing all the options," said the Abahani football secretary.

For Mohammedan their case is unique. Seriously affected from the transfer dealings, the popular Motijheel club are trying their best to plug the gaps in their squad.

The black and whites after losing a host of key players were forced to sign up quite a few mediocre players.

They are desperate to get hold of some quality foreign players but haven't found one yet.

Mohammedan were the first team to launch their conditioning sessions at the Savar-based BKSP on September 24.