Friday, March 29, 2024

Abahani shatter Arambagh dream

Abahani Limited broke their four-year long trophy drought when they beat Arambagh Krira Sangha 1-0 in the Federation Cup final at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on Monday.
English playmaker Lee Andrew Tuck’s 11th minute strike proved decisive as the traditional Sky-Blue outfits lifted their ninth Federation Cup title while tournament’s giant killers Arambagh had to remain satisfied with another runners-up trophy.
Abahani’s last silverware came in 2012 when they won the Premier League title.
Arambagh reached the final for the third time after 1997 and 2001 but left the field empty handed on all three occasions.
Abahani’s Austrian Kottan was ecstatic after guiding the side for the second title during his tenure as coach of the Dhanmondi-based outfits.
‘It’s a wonderful feeling,’ said Kottan.
‘It is the second time in my life players throw me high at the Bangabandhu National Stadium. I am very happy for the guys. After 10 years I think I become the champions.
‘Most important thing is we controlled the game. We got 2-3 chances and we should have won by 3-1.’
Kottan brought two changes in his starting line-up for the final from the squad beat Sheikh Russell Krira Chakra in the semi-final.
Lee Tuck, who missed the semi-final through injury, retained his place for Shahedul Alam while forward Nabib Newaz Jiban returned to the starting XI replacing Senegalese forward Camara Sarba.
The players struggled to display their natural performance under the blazing heat of the afternoon as the match kicked-off at 3:30pm local time.
However, Abahani were the better of the two sides from the beginning and got an early lead.
Their first real chance came just seven minutes into the clock when Nigerian marksman Sunday Chizoba saw his initial effort was brilliantly blocked by Arambagh keeper Mitul Hasan.
Mitul made another superb save to deny Jewer Rana’s headed on the rebound moments later.
Lee put Abahani ahead just four minutes later as his left-footed drive from the edge of the box following a neat through from Jiban found the back of the net.
After the resumption, Arambagh tried their best to come back in the game as they did twice in the quarter-final and semi-final against Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club and Team BJMC.
But this time they failed to repeat those feats due to lack of quality finishing.
Arambagh winger Jafar Iqbal broke into the left of the penalty area in the 51st minute and took a powerful shot but his effort was punched away by Abahani keeper Shahidul Alam Sohel.
Cameroonian midfielder Yoko Samnick wasted a great chance to make the things level in the 56th minute when he made a fine build-up with Nigerian Kester Akon but saw his shot was blocked by Abahani defender Waly Faisal.

-With New Age input

Related News

Bangladesh women thrash Singapore 8-0 in friendly

Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com Bangladesh national women’s football team clinched their two-match FIFA international series against Singapore in style when they crushed the visitors 8-0 in their second and final match at the Birshreshtha Shaheed Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Kamalapur on Monday. Tahura Khatun, Ritu Porna Chakma both scored a brace while Sanjida Akter, Sabina ... Read more

Ronaldinho makes short stopover in Dhaka

Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com The legendary Brazilian Ronaldinho Gaucho spent a busy twelve hours in Dhaka yesterday en route to Dubai. He had arrived in Kolkata two days earlier, where he had attended several events. Brazilian footballer who won the World Cup arrived in Dhaka around 3:45 p.m. and left the Bangladeshi capital in the ... Read more

Eden Hazard announces retirement from football

Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com At the age of just 32, Eden Hazard has announced his retirement from football. The former Chelsea and Real Madrid forward, known for his exceptional dribbling skills and goal-scoring prowess, has called time on a career that spanned over 16 years and more than 700 matches. “You must listen to yourself ... Read more

Brazil football great Ronaldinho to visit Dhaka on 18 October

Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com Brazilian World Cup winner soccer legend Ronaldinho will visit Dhaka on 18 October. This star footballer is visiting Kolkata and Dhaka on the invitation of Indian sports entrepreneur Shatdru Dutta Initiative. Creation World and Off Track Events and Advertising are implementing the entire event in Bangladesh. This Brazilian superstar will return ... Read more

BSPA hands out Kaysar Sinha awards

Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com The Bangladesh Sports Press Association honoured three organisers by handing over the Kaysar Sinha awards in a function held at the Bangabandhu Military Museum auditorium in the city on Friday. Abahani Limited founding general secretary Harunur Rashid was awarded as the best organiser, while former Bangladesh Cricket Board president Kamal Zialu ... Read more

George Kottan, football friend of Bangladesh passes away

Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com The Bangladesh football team’s SAFF Championship-winning coach, George Kottan, passed away on Monday in Budapest. He was 76. Due to his old age and physical difficulties, the experienced coach had been hidden from the public for some time. On Thursday, former national team goalie Biplob Bhattacharjee posted on Facebook that he ... Read more

Friendly football match between Bangladesh Army, Australian Defence Force

Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com A friendly football match between the Bangladesh Army and the Australian Defence Force was held at the Bangladesh Army Stadium in the capital’s Banani area on Tuesday. Chief of General Staff of Bangladesh Army Lt Gen Ataul Hakim Sarwar Hasan attended the ceremony as the chief guest and distributed prizes among ... Read more

German soccer player Robert Bauer embraces Islam

Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com German soccer player Robert Bauer announced on Instagram that he has converted to Islam. He thanked his wife and her family for their support on his journey. The 28-year-old athlete, who curre ntly plays for Saudi club Al-Tai in the Saudi Professional League, shared the news with his followers, shedding light ... Read more

Spain wins the Women’s World Cup by defeating England

Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com Spain are world champions, having won the Women’s World Cup 1-0 against England in Sydney, Australia. Thirteen years on from the men’s victory in South Africa, an Olga Carmona strike proved enough to win the match against the European champions in front of 75,784 spectators. Her goal came in the 29th ... Read more

Mattra to acquire broadcast, marketing rights for FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 in Bangladesh from 1Stadia

Business Desk : dhakamirror.com Mattra, a leading media company, has declared its position as the official media rights holder for the highly anticipated 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Bangladesh. This association comes on the back of a strategic agreement with 1Stadia, a prominent US-based company specialising in technological advancements in the world of sports ... Read more

Messi signs with US club Inter Miami

Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com Seven-time Ballon d’Or Lionel Messi signed Saturday with Inter Miami CF of Major League Soccer (MLS), initiating the next stage in a career that has seen him lift 43 trophies, including the World Cup. The 36-year-old will stay with the Miami club through 2025, the statement added. “I’m very excited to ... Read more

Footballer Benjamin Mendy in tears as jury clears him on sex offences

Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com France footballer Benjamin Mendy broke down in tears on Friday, as a jury cleared him of sex offences. Mendy, 28, put his head on his knees and wiped away tears on hearing the verdict at the end of the three-week trial at Chester Crown Court in northwest England. He had previously ... Read more

Ronaldo overtakes Messi and sets another Guinness World Record

Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com Cristiano Ronaldo has overtaken Lionel Messi to set a new world record for highest annual earnings by an athlete, securing his 17th Guinness World Records title. The 38-year-old is estimated to have earned a whopping £107.5 million in the 12 months ended May 1, 2023, topping Forbes’ list of the world’s ... Read more

Huge moment for fans as Messi lands in Florida to join up with Inter Miami

Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com Fans had begun to gather at the club’s DRV PNK stadium early in the morning ahead of his expected arrival. Lionel Messi said he is ready for the new challenge of restarting Inter Miami’s fortunes when the Argentine superstar landed in Florida on Tuesday before putting the finishing touches on his ... Read more

Mbappé visits father’s homeland

Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com French football star Kylian Mbappé told reporters in Yaoundé he was “honoured” to visit his father’s native Cameroon. The PSG striker is on a humanitarian visit to the country for his foundation. Mbappé, the star forward of Paris Saint-Germain and captain of the French national team, arrived in the Cameroonian capital ... Read more

FIFA compensate Bangladesh defender Saad

Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com The world football governing body FIFA compensated Tk 4,65, 000 to Bangladesh national football team defender Saad Uddin for the injury that he suffered during the national team’s training session in May 2022 in Dhaka before the AFC Asian Cup 2023 Qualifiers, said a Bangladesh Football Federation media release on Thursday. ... Read more

Ruben Neves close to €55m Saudi Arabia move

Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com Wolves captain Rúben Neves is close to a €55 million move to Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal. The Portuguese had been linked with a switch to Barcelona but the La Liga champions have not been able to get a deal over the line. Several UK media outlets are reporting that ... Read more

Messi ‘detained’ at Beijing airport

Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com Argentine superstar Lionel Messi Lionel Messi never fails to hit the headlines as the player recently announced that he will be joining David Beckham’s side Inter Miami in the MLS. According to the reports, Lionel Messi was supposed to be signed by FC Barcelona who tried their level best to bring ... Read more

Swedish players forced to show their genitals at the 2011 Women’s World Cup

Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com Players of the Swedish women’s soccer team had to show their genitals to prove they were women before the start of the 2011 World Cup, the team’s centre-back Nilla Fischer has revealed. The 38-year-old soccer player, Nella Fischer, who described the experience as “humiliating” was exposed. Fischer, who played 194 times ... Read more

Man City clinches the historic treble after Rodri’s goal and defeats Inter Milan 1-0 to win the Champions League

Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com Rodri was the unlikely hero as Manchester City beat Inter Milan 1-0 to win the Champions League for the very first time and clinch a historic treble. Boosted by the firepower of multiple talented players, Spaniard Rodri scored the only goal of the match in the 67th minute to clinch the ... Read more