Saif SC’s five-minute miracle

With two goals in the final five minutes, Emery Bayisenge completed a rousing comeback for hosts Saif SC, who clawed back to get a 2-2 draw with Chattogram Abahani in a Bangladesh Premier League encounter in Mymensingh yesterday.

With a 2-0 lead in the 89th minute, the visitors seemed to be heading for their second victory, but 10-man Saif SC surged back emphatically to earn a creditable point after two victories.

After a barren first half, Saif SC forward Faisal Ahmed Fahim received a straight red card in the 59th minute for a foul on Chinedu Mathew.

The visitors took just two minutes to make their advantage count as Brazilian forward Nixon Guylheme fired home from inside the box after receiving a pass from Rakib Hossain.

Mathew doubled the lead in the 78th minute after Didier Charles played him into the box. The Nigerian saw his first effort parried by an advancing Pappu Hossain, before firing the rebound home.

However, there was plenty of drama to come. Yeasin Arafat headed on a Mohammad Rafi cross and an unmarked Emery easily found the back of the net in the 90th minute.

In the fourth minute of the seven minutes of stoppage time, Emery rose high to nod a cross from Murolimzhov Akhmedov into the net to spare Saif SC a defeat and keep them top of the table with seven points from three outings.

Chittagong Abahani raised their tally to four points from three matches following a forgettable defeat to Arambagh in their previous match.

In the day's other match, hosts Arambagh also came from two goals down to play out a 2-2 draw against Muktijoddha Sangsad at the Bangabandhu National Stadium.

Eleta Benjamin scored an own goal to give the visitors a lead in the 12th minute before Eleta Kingsley leveled in the 47th minute. Mohammad Sohel restored Muktijoddha Sangsad's lead in the 57th minute but Eleta Kingsley struck his second in the 89th minute.