Abahani reaches final by defeating Bashundhara Kings with 10 men

Sports Desk

At the Shaheed Dhirendranath Datta Stadium in Comilla, Abahani defeated current champions Bashundhara Kings 4-2 in a penalty shootout to advance to the Federation Cup final after a thrilling first qualifier match that ended 1-1 in regulation and extra time.

This result means Kings are not yet eliminated from the tournament – they will get another chance to reach the final. They will face Rahmatganj MFS, who defeated Brothers Union in the eliminator.

Abahani’s path to victory was far from easy. Just before halftime in the 42nd minute, central defender Asaduzzaman Bablu received his second yellow card, reducing them to 10 men.

The situation worsened after the break when Kings took advantage of miscommunication between goalkeeper Mitul Marma and his central defenders, with Mojibur Rahman Jony putting the defending champions ahead just before the hour mark. Despite being a man down and trailing, Abahani didn’t give up. They withstood wave after wave of Kings’ attacks, though the opponents dominated possession for most of the match.

But the Sky Blues waited for their moment. It came in the 84th minute when substitute Arman Faisal pounced on the rebound after Akash Raphael Augusto’s free-kick hit the crossbar, scoring with a quick reaction.

The game could have ended in extra time, but Abahani’s Mohammad Hridoy wasted a golden opportunity to seal victory in the dying moments.

In the penalty shootout, Kings made a tactical change, fielding Anisur Rahman Zico – left out of the national team – as goalkeeper instead of Mehdi Hasan Srabon. This move initially worked as he saved the first spot-kick. But Abahani showed remarkable composure, converting their next four attempts.

Meanwhile, Kings missed their third and fourth penalties, handing Abahani a dramatic and hard-fought victory – their second win against Kings this season.

Abahani goalkeeper Mitul Marma was named Man of the Match.