Abahani Limited and Rahmatganj Muslim Friends Society advanced to the second round of the Federation Cup from Group B following their identical 3-0 wins over Fakirerpool Young Men鈥檚 Club and Chittagong Abahani on Tuesday.
Abahani scored all of their goals within a span of six minutes in the second half as defender Yeasin Khan gave 12-time champions the lead in the 65th minute by converting a penalty spot in Cumilla. Defender Hasan Murad (68th) and midfielder Mahdi Yousuf Kha (71st) added the other goals.
In Dhaka, Egyptian midfielder Mostafa Mahmood Kahraba (32nd), Ghanaian forward Samuel Boateng (42), and forward Fahim Nur Toha (71st) scored once each for Rahmatganj.
With the day鈥檚 results, Abahani and Rahmatganj both have earned identical nine points from three games, but Rahmatganj were leading the five-team table on better goal difference.
The two sides will meet in the top-place decider of the group on February 4, while 11-time champions Mohammedan Sporting Club, who made an early exit from the race, will take on Fakirerpool on the same day.
In the second round, two group champions will play the first qualifier, and the winning team will get a direct entry to the final, while the winners of the play-off qualifier will book the other spot in the final.
The play-off qualifier will be played between the losing team of the first qualifier and the winners of the eliminator match, which will be played between the two group runners-up.