Bangoura treble fires NoFel

Guinean forward Ismael Bangoura slotted a hattrick for NoFel SC to help the side notch a come from behind 5-2 win over Rahmatganj MFS in a Bangladesh Premier League match on their home ground, the Shaheed Bulu Stadium in Noakhali yesterday.

Bangoura is the fifth player to score a hattrick in the ongoing professional football league after Ballo Famoussa of Muktijoddha Sangsad, Zahid Hossain of Arambagh and Nabib Newaj Jibon and Sunday Chizoba of Abahani.

With their overall third win in 16 matches, newcomers NoFel SC leapfrogged to 10th position with 13 points, just two behind ninth-placed Rahmatganj MFS, who surprisingly suffered an identical 5-2 defeat against Abahani in their previous match.

NoFel, who were in threat of relegation by staying just ahead of Brothers Union and Team BJMC before the start of the match, conceded the lead in the very third minute when Uzbekistan’s Furkar Jon found the back of NoFel’s net with a curling free-kick in the third minute.

However, NoFel hit back to level the margin two minutes later with Kamul Islam volleying an Ashraful Islam cross home from inside the box before Bangoura got the home side ahead in the 35th minute with a side-volley from inside the danger zone. Bangoura, who once played for Rahmatganj MFS, made it 3-1 by breaking the off-side trap two minutes from the break.

After resumption, Rahmatganj stepped up their attack and reduced the margin in the 50th minute, thanks to a cleaver header from Sohel Rana over NoFel’s advancing goalkeeper Saiful Islam Khan. However, NoFel again regained controlled of the game as Jamir Uddin restored the margin with a grounder in the 54th minute while Bangoura completed his hattrick in the 65th minute with a solo effort.   

At the Sylhet District Stadium, the visiting Saif Sporting Club handed a 3-0 defeat to hosts Sheikh Russel KC with Uzbek Otabek Zokirov, Colombian Deiner Andres Cordoba and Brazilian Alessandro Celin scoring in the 53rd, 61st and 79th minutes respectively.

With their 11th win in 17 matches, Saif caught up to third-placed Sheikh Russel with 36 points each but Sheikh Russel are ahead of Saif by virtue of a better goal difference having played one match less.