Hosts' contrasting day
Chittagong Mohammedan's Guinean striker Raphael Sagno (2nd from R) faces aerial challenge from Farashganj defenders during their yesterday's Citycell B. League match at the MA Aziz Stadium in Chittagong.Photo: STAR
Khulna Abahani's miseries continued when the B. League's bottom team suffered their 13th consecutive defeat despite taking lead in a 4-1 crash at home to Rahmatganj yesterday.
Manjurul Islam put the local side ahead after 12 minutes but Ugandan marksman Idris Kasirye slotted a second-half hattrick and Nigerian striker Nche Francis added the other for Rahmatganj at the Khulna Stadium.
Idris, who equalised six minutes after the break, completed the fifth hattrick of the competition with strikes in 72 and 80 minutes after Francis's 57th minute goal.
Idris now leads the scorers' list with 12 goals, one ahead of Sheikh Russel forward Alfaz.
The visitors climbed to sixth place with 17 points by virtue of better goal difference after old-Dhaka rivals Farashganj, also on 17 points, lost to Chittagong Mohammedan on the same day.
CU Correspondent adds: Chittagong Mohammedan defeated Farashganj 3-1 at the Chittagong MA Aziz Stadium to return to winning ways at home after a solitary goal defeat to Abahani of Dhaka.
There were, however, doubts whether the match would start or not after the local authority began digging the ground to prepare a pitch for 'fun cricket' at the venue allotted for only football.
Only after the Bangladesh Football Federation bosses from Dhaka threatened to withdraw teams from the port city, normalcy returned and the works stopped.
Later, players and officials of the both teams complained of a bumpy pitch, where defending champions and league leaders Abahani of Dhaka face their local namesakes.
Chittagong District Football Association chairman Shahauddin Shamim admitted the problem.
"BFF member Satyajit Das Rupu visited the field today and directed to stop the work for wicket," he added.
In the match, the visitors could have gone ahead but Enamul headed the ball onto the sidebar after 11 minutes.
Mohammedan's Guinean striker Raphael Sagno opened the scoring in the 54th minute when he shot home after controlling a long-range pass from Lincoln.
Towhidul doubled the lead for the hosts in the 70th minute when he pounced on a rebound after Farashganj goalkeeper Sujan palmed away midfielder Camara's effort.
Liberian Anthony Doe sealed Chittagong Mohammedan's sixth win in 14 games when the midfielder stunned the rival custodian near from the centreline with a dipping volley two minutes from time. The Chittagong giants consolidated fifth place with 23 points.
The tourists scored a consolation goal in the stoppage time through Mamun.
TEAMS
CHITTAGONG MOHA-MMEDAN: Mamun, Lincoln, Pradip, Shawkat, Sharif, Masud, Doe, Jitu (Towhidul), Camara, Raphael (Chowmrin) and Ridon (Daulat).
FARASHGANJ: Sujan, Ramjan (Russell), Lucky (Abu), Mamun, Rajib, Arafat (Yusuf), Rintu, Khokon, Dominic, Enamul and Johnson.
Comments