Winning starts for Sk Jamal, Sk Russel

Former champions Sheikh Russel KC and three-time premier league champions Sheikh Jamal DC made winning starts as the new football season kicked off through Riviera Independence Cup yesterday following a break of two months and seven days.

Sheikh Russel, the 2013 edition champions, beat Uttar Baridhara Club 1-0 in the first match of the day at the Birshreshtha Shaheed Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Kamalapur before Sheikh Jamal beat Bangladesh Air Force 3-0 at the same venue.

The two results mean Sheikh Jamal grabbed the top spot in Group B after the first day while today Mohammedan will take on Muktijoddha Sangsad and Saif Sporting Club will square off against Bangladesh Army in two Group C matches.

A total of 15 teams -- 12 from the premier league and three services teams -- will vie for the title of the Independence Cup, which is being held after a gap of three years.

All the matches of the three-week tournament will be held on the synthetic turf of Kamalapur as the Bangabandhu National Stadium, the premier football venue of the country, continues to undergo renovation.

Sheikh Russel failed to break the deadlock in the first half of the first game against their premier league opponents despite finding three good scoring chances.

Machado de Souza saw his header glance past the near post on 14 minutes before Mohammad Jewel's sliding volley went straight to the goalie in the 34th minute.

Mannaf Rabbi then struck straight at goalie at the stroke half-time before making amends 14 minutes after restart, poking in from the goalline a well-judged chip from Sheikh Russel captain Esmael Ruti Tavares.

Saiful Bari's charges were denied a second 12 minutes later when Aizar Akmatov's corner was cleared off the goalline before Baridhara keeper Saiful Islam Khan made a double save on 87 minutes against De Souza and Tavares to keep the margin of defeat to a solitary goal.

Sheikh Jamal, meanwhile, had a much more comfortable victory against Bangladesh Air Force in the second match.

Valijonov Otabek gave Sheikh Jamal a 16th-minute lead with a right-footed curler from the edge of the box before Solomon King made it 2-0 in the 52nd minute with a placing shot on a thorough-pass from Otabek. Sohanur Rahman put the icing on the cake with a third goal, beating the opposition goalkeeper following a thorough-pass from Rahbar Khan on 55 minutes.