Bashundhara Kings closed in on winning their fifth straight title of the Bangladesh Premier League after beating six-time champions Abahani Limited 2-1 at the Kings Arena in Dhaka on Saturday.
Spanish coach Oscar Bruzon鈥檚 charges now have 37 points from 14 games in the 10-team league and need four more points from the remaining four games to bag the聽title聽as second-placed Mohammedan Sporting Club have 28 points from the same number of games.聽
Third-placed Abahani are 12 points behind the league leaders with seven wins, four draws and three losses. 聽
Kings did the double over Abahani in the league as they won the away game 2-0 in Gopalganj on January 26, 2024.聽
On Saturday, forward Rakib Hossain gave Kings the lead in the fifth minute of the game by scoring from a goalmouth melee after Brazilian midfielder Miguel Damasceno鈥檚 shot from right inside the box聽was blocked聽by Abahani keeper Sahidul Alam Sohel.聽
Kings went into the break with a 2-0 lead as Miguel converted a spot kick in the 34th minute, just 13 minutes after Kings goalkeeper Anisur Rahman Zico聽was stretchered out聽following a head injury that he suffered while tackling Abahani鈥檚 Grenadian forward Cornelius Stewart.聽
Miguel was tackled from the back by聽Abahani鈥檚 Iranian defender Milad Sheikh inside the box聽and聽referee Nasir Uddin had no hesitation in awarding the penalty.聽
Abahani returned to the game in the 50th minute when Stewart beat Kings鈥� substitute keeper Mehedi Hasan Srabon in a one-on-one situation following Brazilian forward Washington Brando鈥檚 cutback from the left.
Abahani came close to scoring in either half as Stewart鈥檚 headed attempt in the 18th minute聽was cleared聽by Kings defender Bishwanath Ghosh off the goal-line聽and聽midfielder Md Ridoy was unlucky in stoppage time as his shot from 30 yards hit the crossbar.聽
In the day鈥檚 other matches, Sheikh Russel Krira Chakra came back from one goal down to beat Fortis Football Club 2-1 in Rajshahi, while Police Football Club beat Rahmatganj Muslim Friends Society 2-0 in Mymensingh.
In Rajshahi, Gambian forward Pa Omar Babou gave Fortis FC the lead in the 32nd minute before Sk Russel鈥檚 Nigerian defender Ganiu Atanda Ogungbe equalised in the 36th minute. Fortis FC conceded an own goal in the 65th minute聽with聽defender Abdullah Omar putting the ball in his own net.聽聽聽
In Mymensingh, midfielder Sahed Hossain Miah and Venezuelan forward Edward Enrique Morillo Jimenez scored for Police FC.