Mohammedan Sporting Club's dependency on their long-serving striker Souleymane Diabate continues as they secured a 1-0 victory over archrivals Abahani in a crucial Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) fixture in Cumilla on Saturday.

The 33-year-old Malian, who had scored the decisive goal against holders Bashundhara Kings in the previous match, rose high to nod home a well-judged cross from Minhajur Abedin from close range in first-half stoppage time.

Ahead of this much-anticipated clash, Mohammedan coach Alfaz Ahmed's decision to rest six players -- including Diabate, adjudged player of the match, and Minhajur -- during Tuesday's Federation Cup encounter against Rahmatganj MFS eventually paid off, as the fresh players played vital roles in the closely contested affair.

Since making his debut for the Black and Whites in 2019, Diabate has played 11 league matches against Abahani, scoring eight goals in seven of those matches, in which Mohammedan won one, drew four, and lost two. Diabate also frustrated Abahani by scoring four goals in last year's Federation Cup final, where Mohammedan clinched the trophy with a 4-2 victory in tiebreakers.

"There is no question about Diabate's goal-scoring ability, and he is still our main player, who regularly inspires others on the field," said Alfaz.

"He keeps lighting us up with his performances. Compared to last season, he has been performing well from the start of this season, and we are looking forward to seeing more from him in the coming days."

Alfaz expressed satisfaction after securing three points but acknowledged there is still a long way to go as Mohammedan aim for the elusive professional league title this season.

"We have already crossed two big hurdles, and we need to stay focused in the remaining matches to avoid dropping points," said Alfaz, adding that Abahani, despite missing their foreign players, were still strong enough to challenge Mohammedan.

At Shaheed Dhirendranath Datta Stadium, Mohammedan dominated the opening half, ending up with a deserving lead. Abahani, however, responded strongly after the interval, creating several chances -- most notably, Mohammad Ibrahim's powerful shot came off the post early in the second half before Arman Faisal Akash narrowly missed the target late in the stoppage time.

"I am disappointed with the result because we deserved at least one point," said Abahani head coach Maruful Haque, adding that they never felt the absence of foreign players in terms of ball possession and creating chances against Mohammedan.

With three consecutive victories, Mohammedan now top the table with nine points, two ahead of second-placed Brothers Union and three clear of the joint third-placed teams Abahani, Bashundhara Kings, and Rahmatganj MFS.

Day's results:

Mohammedan vs Abahani; 1 - 0; Diabate (45+2)

Kings vs Rahmatganj; 4 - 1; Fernandes (10), Ferreira (54+1), Rana (53), Tapu (76); Jibon (12)

Wanderers vs Police;  0 - 4; Al Amin (36, 42), Dipok (79), Kirmane (84)