Sk Russel top Group B

Two Muktijoddha and Abahani players are involved in an airborne tackle during their Independence Cup match at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday. INSET: the dugouts at the stadium were blown away by the fierce storm that broke during the match, which caused a break in play, with the match eventually being completed.Photo: STAR

Nor'wester played spoilsport to the Independence Cup football tournament yesterday, leaving one match postponed altogether and disrupting the other for more than 40 minutes.
The match between Mohammedan Sporting Club and Sheikh Russel Krira Chakra at the Bangabandhu National Stadium had turned into a place-deciding match as both teams were ensured automatic qualification after Chittagong Abahani, the other team of the group, declined to take part in the competition.
An 83rd minute strike from Sheikh Russel's Russian recruit Eduard Sakhnevic decided the match in favour of the Dhanmondi club. Sheikh Russel had also won the Bangladesh League match between the two teams by same margin.
The result meant Sheikh Russel topped Group B but were yet to learn who their quarterfinal opponents would be as Group C remained undecided after storm put paid to the match after 65 minutes at the Birshreshtha Mostafa Kamal Stadium. Muktijoddha Sangsad were leading Arambagh Krira Sangha 3-0, courtesy of a brace from Mohammad Roni and one from Kanchan, before the storm hit. The floodlights went off leaving the match suspended for more than 40 minutes. The match will be replayed at the same venue at 4:30pm today.
Back at the Bangabandhu, the first chance fell on the tenth minute to Mohammedan's Nigerian striker Emeka Christian who wriggled past a couple of defenders inside the penalty box before blasting it awfully wide of target.
Sheikh Russel's Effiong Duke found the back of the net on the 18th minute, but the goal didn't stand since he was clearly in an offside position when the ball came his way.
Mohammedan were forced to make a substitution soon when their goalkeeper Mohammed Al Hasan left the pitch with a badly bruised knee.
After a quiet and insipid first-half, the second was given a stormy start as the nor'wester struck ten minutes after the restart. Floodlights went off, dugouts came out flying and the big glass panes of the press box too came under severe challenge to hold their own.
A downpour followed, forcing the handful of spectators take refuge under the stands after their verbal attack at the Bangladesh Football Federation.
After a 40-minute break, the match restarted and the tempo of the match picked ironically up on a soggy pitch. Both teams went for the kill, but it was Sakhnevic's goal that gave Sheikh Russel the lead. The ball had taken a deflection off a Moha-mmedan defender before going into the net, but the Russian won't have any complaints as it made sure his side won the battle of the big guns.