Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club made history by beating Calcutta giant Mohunbagan 1-0 in a must-win match to clinch a semi-final spot in the 119th IFA Shield on Saturday.
Haitian playmaker Sony Norde scored the winner from a free kick from a tough position as Sheikh Jamal became the first Bangladeshi team to register victory against Mohunbagan.
The loss eliminated Mohunbagan from the competition.
20-time IFA Shield winners Mohunbagan struggled in the first half as Sheikh Jamal control the field and took the lead in the 23rd minute.
Norde’s in-swinging free-kick from the right edge eluded the defender who tried to head it away and gave no chance to Mohunbagan keeper Shilton Pal.
After conceding the surprising goal, Mohunbagan tried hard to come back but could not finish their chances. Sabeeth dribbled inside the box in the 44th minute and cut back inside past a defender, but his shot was deflected for a corner.
Shankar Orao wasted another opportunity in the 45th minute when he found himself one-on-one with the Jamal keeper inside the box but his shot sailed over the bar.
Three minutes after halftime, Norde arrived in the box on a counter-attack courtesy a through-ball from Emeka Darlington but he failed to keep his shot from a sharp angle on target. Mohunbagan’s Pankaj Moula later hit the post with a header.
Jamal nearly conceded a howler in the 84th minute when keeper Zia’s goal kick deflected off a defender and went straight to Oniche Iche, who beat the keeper but hit the woodwork with a chip.
Sheikh Jamal will next face giants East Bengal in their semi-final on February 11.
-With New Age input
