Thursday, September 18, 2008
Khulna Abahani are surprise leaders
DHAKA: Sheikh Russel Krira Chakra were the only team among last season's top five to win in the opening round of the Bangladesh Professional League (B. League) as their fellow Dhaka heavyweights tumbled against lesser opponents despite all the matches being played at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in the capital.
Russel won a 3-2 thriller against Farashganj with Moroccan striker Touati Youness firing twice including converting a late penalty after Alfaz Ahmed's fifth minute opener.
Farashganj twice equalised through Kabir and Yusuf in the 17th and 77th minutes but that was not enough for the Federation Cup's losing finalists as Youness, whose first goal came in the 55th minute, scored again from the spot five minutes from time.
However, Khulna Abahani were the surprise leaders on conclusion of the first round matches on Wednesday by virtue of a better goal difference after the visitors’ 3-1 defeat of Muktijoddha, last year's third placed team who had taken lead through former international Rokonuzzaman Kanchan after 41 minutes.
Despite missing an early penalty, Khulna Abahani rode on goals by 19-year-old Mehdi Hassan, in the 53rd and 78th minutes, who also set the third for Kazi Manjurul in the dying minutes.
After defending champions Abahani's shocking 2-1 defeat to last year's bottom-table side Rahmatganj in the opener, B. League runners-up and this month's Federation Cup winners Mohammedan needed a stoppage time penalty goal by Nigerian forward Alamu Bukola to salvage one point against Chittagong Abahani, who went ahead through Mithun Chowdhury in the 81st minute.
On Wednesday, Brothers Union held touring Chittagong Mohammedan 1-1 with Nigerian Michael Oniya cancelling Guinean forward Raphael Sagno's 34th minute goal on the stroke of halftime.
Brothers fullback Atiqur Rahman Mishu was the first player to be sent off in the 11-team competition where Arambagh did not play in the first round.
-AFC
http://www.the-afc.com/eng/articles/viewArticle.jsp_168100469.html
Russel won a 3-2 thriller against Farashganj with Moroccan striker Touati Youness firing twice including converting a late penalty after Alfaz Ahmed's fifth minute opener.
Farashganj twice equalised through Kabir and Yusuf in the 17th and 77th minutes but that was not enough for the Federation Cup's losing finalists as Youness, whose first goal came in the 55th minute, scored again from the spot five minutes from time.
However, Khulna Abahani were the surprise leaders on conclusion of the first round matches on Wednesday by virtue of a better goal difference after the visitors’ 3-1 defeat of Muktijoddha, last year's third placed team who had taken lead through former international Rokonuzzaman Kanchan after 41 minutes.
Despite missing an early penalty, Khulna Abahani rode on goals by 19-year-old Mehdi Hassan, in the 53rd and 78th minutes, who also set the third for Kazi Manjurul in the dying minutes.
After defending champions Abahani's shocking 2-1 defeat to last year's bottom-table side Rahmatganj in the opener, B. League runners-up and this month's Federation Cup winners Mohammedan needed a stoppage time penalty goal by Nigerian forward Alamu Bukola to salvage one point against Chittagong Abahani, who went ahead through Mithun Chowdhury in the 81st minute.
On Wednesday, Brothers Union held touring Chittagong Mohammedan 1-1 with Nigerian Michael Oniya cancelling Guinean forward Raphael Sagno's 34th minute goal on the stroke of halftime.
Brothers fullback Atiqur Rahman Mishu was the first player to be sent off in the 11-team competition where Arambagh did not play in the first round.
-AFC
http://www.the-afc.com/eng/articles/viewArticle.jsp_168100469.html
# posted by RubaiSport @ 1:24 AM 
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]