The Bangladesh Football League title race has been thrown wide open after Dhaka Abahani Limited climbed level with Bashundhara Kings at the top of the table, following a 1-0 victory over Fortis FC at the Shaheed Dhirendranath Datta Stadium in Cumilla on Friday. It was Abahani’s sixth consecutive league win and a result that has set up a compelling finale to the season.
Heading into the contest, Abahani and Fortis were level on 25 points from 13 matches, separated only by goal difference. The three points lifted Abahani to 28, matching Kings at the summit. The title, however, remains in Kings’ hands. They have played one fewer game, and a win or draw against Brothers on Saturday would restore their lead and put them firmly back in the driving seat.
The decisive moment arrived before most supporters had settled into their seats. After just 34 seconds, a cross from the right by Mirajul caused chaos inside the Fortis penalty area. Goalkeeper Sujan Pereira of Sri Lanka and defender Mithu Chowdhury, captain of the SAFF Under-20 championship-winning side, rushed to deal with the ball simultaneously. In the confusion, it deflected off Mithu and crept into the net, leaving Pereira with no chance.
That early blow knocked the wind out of Fortis. Despite having the remainder of the match to respond, they never truly threatened to breach Abahani’s well-organised defence. Their cause was further hampered by the absence of captain Pa Omar Babu, suspended after picking up a red card in the previous fixture. Abahani were also without forward Shekh Morsalin for the same reason, yet managed to control proceedings comfortably throughout.
In the day’s other match in Manikganj, Arambagh claimed a vital 1-0 victory over Rahmatganj in a game with significant relegation implications. Rahmatganj created the greater number of chances but were wasteful in front of goal and paid the price. Arambagh’s Ghanaian forward Kizito settled the contest early in the second half, cutting inside and firing a low shot into the net from inside the box. The win brought Arambagh to 13 points from 14 matches, whilst Rahmatganj sit on 19 points from the same number of games.
