Jamal, Russel through

Sheikh Russel striker Anwar Hossain skips past two Agrani Bank defenders during their Federation Cup clash at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday. (Inset) Russel's two-goal hero Ernest Emako. Photo: STAR

Dhanmondi neighbours Sheikh Jamal DC and Sheikh Russel KC moved into the quarterfinals of the Grameenphone Federation Cup from Group C after registering their second successive victories at two separate venues yesterday.
A brace from Cameroonian hitman Ernest Siankam Emako powered Sheikh Russel to an emphatic 3-0 win over Agrani Bank SC at the Bangabandhu National Stadium while last season's Federation Cup runners-up Sheikh Jamal defeated Victoria SC 1-0 at the Birshreshtha Shaheed Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Kamalapur, thanks to a late strike from Nigerian striker Assogba Allen.
Two successive defeats for Victoria and Agrani Bank meant the two teams were eliminated from Bangladesh Championship League and will now meet each other in an inconsequential last match while Sheikh Jamal and Sheikh Russel will lock horns to decide the group winners on Friday.
Sheikh Jamal had to wait until the 86th minute for the winner against second-tier side Victoria as Allen headed home a Monaem Khan Raju cross to rescue the Bangladesh League champions and ensure a quarterfinal berth with a match in hand.
Away at the rain-soaked pitch of BNS, Sheikh Russel started as favourites against Agrani Bank and took the lead in the third minute when Cameroonian striker Emako headed home a Yousuf cross from the right-flank.
Agrani Bank hardly made an impression throughout the game except for one good effort from Zahirul Islam which hit the side-netting on the 13th minute.
Sheikh Russel doubled the lead in the 36th minute when left-back Moshiul Kabir Bappi whipped in a cross from the corner flag which was only half-cleared by Agrani Bank goalkeeper Jahangir Alam and it fell kindly to an unmarked Yousuf, who coolly drove the ball on the top corner of the net from inside the box.
Sheikh Russel kept up the momentum after the break and fashioned a third goal in the 59th minute when Nigerian striker Alamu Bukola Olalekan sent a defense-splitting through pass for Emako and the tall striker sent it over the advancing goalkeeper to find his third goal in the tournament as well as to seal the match.
The margin could have been even bigger had substitute defender Shamiul Kader not cleared a goal-bound shot by Mezbabul Haq Manik on the 79th minute.
Zahed Parvez Chowdhury came close scoring a fourth in the dying moments of the match when the former Muktijoddha Sangsad winger drove an angular shot that beat substitute goalkeeper Ershad but the ball missed the target by a whisker.