Yeasin ends foreigners’ monopoly
A local footballer finally wrote his name in the scoresheet of Bangladesh Premier League as a second-half header from Yeasin Arafat helped hosts Saif SC notch up a single-goal win over visiting Mohammedan at the Shaheed Rafique Uddin Bhuiyan Stadium in Mymensingh yesterday.
The goal helped Yeasin to become the first local player to score in the seventh match of ongoing professional league after nine different foreign players scored nine goals in previous six matches.
The win put Saif on the top of the table with six points from two outings while Mohammedan suffered their first defeat following win over Arambagh in their first match.
Mohammedan looked better at the start of the game in the first 15 minutes when they twice came close to breaking the deadlock but were not lucky enough to take the lead.
Nigerian midfielder Ugochukwu Obi Moneke, who scored the winning goal against Arambagh, tried his luck from the centre-circle in the eighth minute when a poor shot from Saif goalkeeper Pappu Hossain came to him. The Nigerian's long-range attempt went narrowly wide of the open net.
Six minutes later, Obi took a free-kick from the edge of the box and Pappu made a brilliant save before Saif gained confidence to start controlling the game.
Rwandan defender Emery Bayisenge saw his close-range header on a cross from Murolimzhon Akhmedov go straight at Mohammedan goalkeeper Hossain Suzan in the 23rd minute before Faisal Ahmed Fahim floated over the crosspiece in 35th minute.
Saif took the lead in the 56th minute with Yeasin headed home a free-kick from Akhmedov while Mohammedan came close to equalising in the 69th minute but Malian marksman Souleymane Diabate drove wide of target.
With the game entering stoppage time, Mohammedan got a great opportunity to level the margin again but Diabate was wayward with his drive.
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