Jamal gives Saif SC winning start
Skipper Jamal Bhuiyan's excellent free-kick gave Saif Sporting Club a 1-0 victory over Team BJMC in an otherwise tepid start to the Independence Cup at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.
Following an exciting end to the season's curtain-raising Federation Cup, expectations were high on another exciting tournament. But the first day hardly lived up to the hype as chances were few and far between.
Last-season's big-spenders Saif SC had more possession in the first half, with midfielder Javed Khan testing Team BJMC keeper Shohag Hossain with a straight-forward effort in the eighth minute before Denier Escarpeta's powerful header brought out a good save from the same keeper six minutes later.
Team BJMC had a great effort on goal right after the break when Mobarak Hossain's low cross was stabbed expertly at near post by Uzbek midfielder Otabek, only for Saif SC goalkeeper Ziaur Rahman to dive a full length and parry it to safety.
Saif SC were unlucky not to break the deadlock in the 74th minute when left-winger Yeasin Arafat's curling effort came off the crossbar as it looked increasingly like the first match of the tournament would end in a dull stalemate. But Saif SC came up with the goods, four minutes before the end of regulation time, finding the back of the net with a sweetly-struck free-kick.
Yeasin was fouled just outside the box, and Jamal curled the ball over the wall, picking the net to the right-hand side of the Team BJMC keeper.
The win kept Saif SC's winning record against this opposition intact following their 3-1 victory over Team BJMC in the group stage of the Federation Cup.
Federation Cup winners Abahani will take on Muktijoddha Sangsad while runners-up Bashundhara Kings will square off against Sheikh Jamal DC in the two matches today.
Comments