Mohammedan and Abahani never do quiet, and they refused to start now. The old rivalry erupted again in Cumilla, and the champions punched harder when it mattered. Mohammedan bagged their first win of the season, edged a frantic 3–2 and walked away with bragging rights that always feel bigger than three points.
Mohammedan set the tone because they played with intent. They pressed high, chased every loose ball and dragged Abahani into uncomfortable territory. The champions smelled hesitation and struck twice before Abahani could steady their back line.
Rahim Uddin sparked the chaos. Muzaffar Muzaffarov launched a hopeful long ball, Samuel Boateng lost control and Rahim darted in from behind. He sprinted into acres of space and finished past a stranded Mitul Marma. It looked simple, but it came from sharp reading of the moment, not luck.
Mohammedan grew bolder. They stretched the pitch, pushed their full-backs high and attacked corners with real hunger. Emmanuel KeKe doubled the lead when he met another Muzaffarov delivery with a clean, ruthless touch. Abahani’s defence froze again, and Mohammedan punished them again.
Abahani had no choice but to chase. They looked lost for forty-five minutes because they let Mohammedan dictate the rhythm. They held the ball but lacked direction, and their midfield never controlled second balls.
The second half changed because Abahani changed their attitude. They pushed quicker into wide areas, crossed earlier and forced Mohammedan to defend deeper. Boateng struck with a brilliant header from a Zahid Hasan cross, and suddenly the match carried the familiar tension of this rivalry.
Papon Singh dragged Abahani even closer. He strode forward from midfield, found space outside the box and drilled a sharp finish into the corner. Mohammedan felt the wobble, and the stands felt the shift. At 3–2, the derby turned wild.
Sheikh Morsalin kept the fire burning when a deflected cross dropped kindly, but he could not find the equaliser. Abahani created half-chances late on, yet they never found the final pass because Mohammedan defended the box with the calm they lacked earlier in the evening.
The champions needed this. They arrived with one draw and one defeat, and they felt the heat. They answered it with aggression and clarity. Abahani, meanwhile, now sit with two defeats and a draw, and they look like a side searching for balance and belief.
Last season, Mohammedan took four points from this rivalry. This season, they strike first again. In a league fuelled by emotion, noise and history, that matters.
