Having not missed a rightful berth in the previous three editions, Abahani face the prospect of sitting on the sidelines after a disappointing last season that also marked the return of Brothers Union in the top flight and a fairy-tale run of Premier League debutant Sheikh Russel Krira Chakra.

The Dhanmondi outfit and their loyal band of supporters, who failed to win a single title last season, will now have to wait till May 12 when the organising committee sits to decide whether both Abahani and their challenger Shiekh Russell will be included in the final round of the competition.

In that event the organisers will have to bend the rules. The competition offers automatic qualification for four teams in the final round -- the winners and runners-up of NFL, the Premier League and the Federation Cup champions.

Muktijoddha Sangsad and Mohammedan Sporting Club get automatic entries as the top two finishers of the last NFL while Brothers qualify as the Premier League champions.

The fourth place fell vacant as both Muktijoddha and Moha-mmedan finished champions and runners-up of the Federation Cup.

But the organisers are in a dilemma over the fourth team as no play-off between the losing Fed Cup semifinalists Abahani and Sheikh Russell was held last year.

"We will talk about this in our first meeting and there is only two ways to separate the two teams. We will probably go for a toss as it would be easier than going for a play-off," said organising committee secretary Malu to reporters yesterday.

"There is no denying Abahani is a popular team and their presence will attract big crowds which is vital for the game. But we are in no position to bend rules to accommodate a team," said Malu.

"I feel for Abahani but they did not form a strong team and it cost them dearly. Look at Brothers and they spent millions to finally win the Premier League title. Besides, the way Sheikh Russell played throughout the season was an example for other teams," he said adding that Abahani would certainly learn from their mistakes.

The league committee secretary thought that there was little chance to reduce the quota of foreign players from four to two in the coming league.

"I personally don't encourage many foreign players but we have to admit that currently, there is a scarcity of quality local footballers. Moreover, the teams who fielded four foreigners this season in the Dhaka League, won't be able to build strong squads if the quota is reduced. They cannot rope in local players from other teams," Malu said.

He also dismissed speculation regarding Nitol-Tata's reluctance to continue their sponsorship.

"We have a three-year contract and the sponsors have assured us that they are going to honour it. Nitol-Tata paid Tk 30 lakh to the BFF last year out of their promised Tk 40 lakh for the first season. We are expecting the reminder before the final round kicks off."