Muktijoddha Sangsad Krira Chakra moved into the quarter-finals of the Federation Cup with a 1-0 win over cash-rich Chittagong Abahani at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on Monday.
Brothers Union beat Uttar Baridhara 1-0 in the other match to join Muktijoddha in the quarter-finals. Nigerian forward Nkowcha Kingsley scored the only goal in 31st minute from penalty to give Brothers their second win in as many matches. The result also confirmed Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club’s place in the last eight.
Substitute forward Mohammad Robin struck the decisive goal in the 82nd minute from his first touch in the opening game of the day match having played his first match in two years.
Robin, who replaced defender Pintu Kumar Das, played a long ball outside the box to run diagonal placing the ball home to the left-hand side of onrushing goalkeeper Ashraful Islam Rana.
‘I had struck such goals many times in the domestic league, so I looked at the position of the goalkeeper before placing it home,’ said an ecstatic Robin, who had struck his last goal two years ago for Sheikh Russell KC in 2-1 loss against BJMC.
‘Though I signed up for Brothers Union but I could not play last season because of my knee injury on the left leg and I am trying to come back again,’ said Robin.
His goal now left Big-budgeted Chittagong Abahani in danger of being eliminated from the group-stage after collecting only one point from first two matches.
The season’s curtain-raising tournament Independence Cup champions Chittagong Abahani must now hope Muktijoddha beat Sheikh Russell if they are to progress into the last eight.
There was some early indication of an upset when Chittagong Abahani goalkeeper Rana thwarted a Kolo Musa header at the expense of a corner, which ironically became the only remarkable move from either side of the first half.
Muktijoddha Sangsad started with a solid backline featuring five defenders despite Chittagong Abahani sent on defender Nasir Chowdhury upfront in place of Haitian forward Leonel Saint Preux.
They started with four of the players, who missed the Independence Cup due to a pay dispute including Mamunul Islam, but they could not make any impact.
Chittagong Abahani could still escape with a draw as they were awarded a penalty in the stoppage time after Simon Ezeodika brought down Leonel inside the box.
But Moroccan Tareq El Janabi sent it wide from the post.
-With New Age input