Kings stunned in 7-goal thriller
Chattogram Abahani mounted a stunning comeback from three goals behind to hand a 4-3 defeat to holders Bashundhara Kings in a thrilling Bangladesh Premier League encounter at the Sheikh Kamal Stadium in Nilphamari yesterday.
A fourth victory put Chattogram Abahani on top of the 13-team table with 13 points from six matches, but their points tally was later equaled by six-time champions Abahani, who thrashed Muktijoddha Sangsad 4-1 at the Bangabandhu National Stadium with four goals, including the league's first hattrick, from Nigerian striker Sunday Chizoba.
Bashundhara Kings, on the back of two consecutive defeats, slipped to sixth place with 10 points from six outings while Muktijoddha Sangsad remain glued to the bottom along with Uttar Baridhara. They both have one point each from five matches.
In Nilphamari, Bashundhara were virtually flying after notching up a clinical 5-1 win over Maldives' TC Sports Club in the AFC Cup thanks to a remarkable four-goal performance by Argentinian striker Hernan Barcos.
However, without Barcos, who is ineligible to play in the domestic league, the big spenders could not match the pace of their frantic start against the port city side, who staged a strong comeback by scoring four goals in the final half-hour despite going 3-0 down in the first hour.
Despite Barcos's absence, the Federation Cup champions looked well on course to return to winning way after a 0-1 defeat to Mohammedan in their last outing. They took a comfortable 3-0 lead within the first hour, thanks to an inspiring performance by Costa Rican World-Cupper Daniel Colindres, who scored one and had a hand in the other two.
But Bashundhara Kings, who lost only once last season to Sheikh Russel in Sylhet, were sunk by their vulnerable backline, which agonisingly surrendered the healthy lead.
Chattogram Abahani held their superior opponents till the 43rd minute, when Rokibul Islam brought down Colindres inside the box. The spot-kick was easily converted by Tajik defender Aktam Nazarov, before Argentinian defender Nicolas Delmonte nodded home a Colindres free-kick in the second minute of added time.
After resumption, Colindres capitalised on a pass from Kyrgyzstan's Baktyir Duishobekov and placed the ball to the far post in the 59th minute, leaving Chattogram Abahani looking dead and buried. But the port-city side amazingly arose from the ashes and left the field with another big victory after previously thrashing former champions Sheikh Jamal, Sheikh Russel and Abahani.
Former national team right-back Nasirul Islam ran down from the right flank and released a nice cross for Ivory Coast forward Charles Didier, whose glancing header went past Bashundhara Kings goalkeeper Anisur Rahman in the 64th minute. Brazilian Nixon Brizolara then converted a penalty to make it 3-2 in the 67th minute after he was brought down by centre-back Tapu Barman.
Bashundhara were still on the top and the clock was running down but Maruful Haque's charges stunned Bashundhara by equalising in the 88th minute when Nixon flicked a Mannaf Rabbi cross home from inside the box.
Nigeria's Chenedu Mathew then delivered the killing blow, driving home another perfect cross from the right by substitute Rabbi five minutes into the stoppage time of the second half.
In Dhaka, Sunday put Abahani ahead in the 18th minute with a header off a Raihan Hasan long-throw before doubling their lead on the half-hour mark by breaking the off-side trap.
The Nigerian marksman completed his hattrick by heading home a deflected Raihan Hasan throw-in in the 49th minute before Muktijoddha pulled one back in the 63rd minute with a close-range shot from Brazilian Albert Silva.
Five minutes from time, Sunday wrapped up the victory with a left-footed strike from inside the box to return Abahani to winning ways following a 0-2 defeat to Chattogram Abahani.
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