Abahani held, Muktijoddha win

Title contenders Abahani and Muktijoddha Sangsad began their Bangladesh Premier League campaign in contrasting fashion at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday. The four-time champions Abahani twice surrendered their lead to play out a 2-2 draw against promoted Rahmatganj MFS while Muktijoddha came out with a 2-1 win against Feni Soccer Club.

Before the start of the eighth edition of top-tier professional football league, Abahani's Austrian coach George Kottan had expressed his worries over the finishing prowess of his strikers. But it was rather the defenders who ruined the forwards' achievement to give the Sky Blues a frustrating start despite displaying beautiful possession-based football throughout the game.

Abahani gained the upper hand right from the word go with crisp passing and attacks from both flanks but they had to wait for nearly an hour to break the deadlock as Rahmatganj coach Kamal Babu's defensive tactics kept the Sky Blues at bay.

After a barren first half, Abahani took a deserved lead in the 57th minute through Szabolcs Csorba. The Hungarian forward placed the ball at the back of the net after being set up inside the box on the end of a darting run by Nasirul Islam. However Abahani's lead lasted only a minute as Rahmatganj's Nigerian forward Gideon Solomon latched on to a through pass from Sumon Dey and drove home with a powerful shot.

With the equaliser, Rahmatganj started to come out of their defensive shell and Abahani struck again to restore the lead in the 72nd minute, thanks to an accurate header from Hungarian midfielder Gabor Demjen off a Nasirul Islam cross.

When it seemed Abahani were just a couple of minutes away from victory and strengthened the backline sending on defender Nahidul Islam in place of substitute winger Shakil Ahmed, Rahmatganj surprisingly found the equaliser in the first minute of stoppage time when substitute Mannaf Rabby toe-poked one from inside the box. The goal was all but the last action of the match as the promoted side held their illustrious opponents for the first time since the second edition of the league in 2008.

Under the floodlight, Federation Cup runners-up Muktijoddha dominated proceedings and went ahead in the 12nd minute with an eye-catching left-footed drive from former national striker Enamul Haque. The All Reds went for the break with a 2-0 lead, thanks to an own goal by Feni Soccer defender Manjur Rahman Manik on the stroke of half-time.

The scenario changed after the break as Feni gave Muktijoddha a run for their money, which ultimately forced them to concede an own goal just four minutes into the second half.

Gambian Momdou Lamin Jatta whipped in a cross from the right which Mohammad Biplob turned into his own while trying to clear the ball. Feni Soccer kept on pressing hard for the equaliser but Muktijoddha held on to the slender lead.