BJMC off to winning start

Forward Aminur Rahman (green shirt) strikes the first goal for Team BJMC against Soccer Club Feni in their BPL fixture at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday. PHOTO: STAR

Team BJMC began their Bangladesh Premier League campaign on a winning note when they handed a 2-1 defeat to Feni Soccer Club at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.
Aminur Rahman Sajib and Nigerian Uche Felix scored one goal each for Team BJMC while Beninese hitman Wassiou Okalawon pulled one goal back for Feni Soccer, who have conceded defeat in all five matches against BJMC in the professional football league.
BJMC, fourth-placed finishers last season and a semifinalist of the season's curtain-raising Federation Cup, dominated the game from the word go and created numerous chances but had to be satisfied with a slim 2-1 margin. Feni Soccer failed to repeat their performance earlier in the season in a Federation Cup encounter against ultimate champions Sheikh Jamal, in which they played brilliantly to go down to a narrow 1-0 defeat.
Former Feni striker Sajib came close to putting his new club, BJMC, ahead in the ninth minute but the tall-striker saw his grounder to the far post from the edge of the box narrowly miss the target while left-back Shakil Ahmed was denied by the woodwork in the 17th minute.
After resumption, BJMC stepped up the attack for the lead and it paid off when Sajib, availing a nice through-pass from Felix, darted into the box to shrug off two defenders before firing it past Feni goalkeeper Masud Ahmed Uzzal two minutes into the second half.
BJMC came close to doubling the score two minutes later but Shakil unbelievably drove a Ismael Bangoura push wide with only the goalkeeper left in his path.
However, he made up for it by providing a nice long ball for Felix, who easily beat Feni goalkeeper Uzzal with a low drive from inside the box to double the score in the 67th minute.
After going two goals down, Feni Soccer displayed their fighting qualities to put BJMC under pressure and secured a goal five minutes from time when Okalawon headed home an Akram Khan Liton cross from the right.
“I am more or less satisfied with the performance the boys put in, though they could not implement the game plan perfectly,” said BJMC coach Ali Ashgar Nasir.
“I was eager to get a goal against my previous club (Feni Soccer),” said striker Sajib, who has set a target to score a goal in every match.
Feni Soccer's Gambian coach Omar K Sisse said they conceded the first goal due to a defensive blunder while the second goal was off-side.
Sisse however was satisfied with the way his charges played in the second half.