A second-half strike from Mohammad Ibrahim helped Abahani beat arch-rivals Mohammedan Sporting Club 1-0 in a crucial Group B encounter of the Federation Cup in Cumilla on Tuesday.

From a counter-attack, Shahriar Emon ran down the right flank to enter the box before squaring the ball to national discard forward Ibrahim, who struck the decisive goal with a neat tap-in on the square pass in the 74th minute at Shaheed Dhirendranath Stadium.

The back-to-back victory pushed Abahani to joint-top position with Rahmatganj MFS, with six points each from two matches. Both teams just need a point to confirm their second-round berth from Group B.

On the other hand, the 2023 Federation Cup champions and last season's runners-up Mohammedan are on the verge of elimination with two defeats in three matches, having only one match against Fakirerpool Young Men's Club in hand.

The win was also revenge for Abahani, who lost 1-0 in the Bangladesh Premier League encounter during the season's first meeting between the country's two popular outfits.