Abahani thrash Russel

Nigerian forward Sunday Chizoba and Brazilian midfielder Raphael Augusto scored braces to power Abahani to a massive 5-1 win over Sheikh Russel KC in their Bangladesh Premier League encounter at the Bangabandhu National Stadium today.

The win also helped six-time champions Abahani bounce back to winning ways after a 2-3 defeat against Saif SC in their previous match. Abahani also reduced their gap with Sheikh Jamal DC.

Abahani, with 43 points from 22 outings, are two points short of second-placed Sheikh Jamal DC, who played a game less than the Sky Blues.

On a rain-soaked heavy pitch, both the sides struggled to keep their footing, preventing them from playing their natural game. 

Despite all the difficulties in keeping hold of the ball in severely waterlogged ground, Abhani's Sunday managed to break the deadlock with a low strike that deflected off a Sheikh Russel defender before getting past the near post in the 32nd minute.

After resumption, Sheikh Russel, who held Abahani to a 1-1 stalemate in the first-leg match, bounced back in the 64th minute through a close-range strike from Tajik Siyovush Asrorov. 

However, Abahani put the game to bed by netting four goals in the last 25 minutes.

Raphael Augusto restored the lead with a long-range drive in the 70th minute before Haitian Kervens Belfort made it 3-1 by driving a Nasir Chowdhury cross home 10 minutes later. 

In the 88th minute, Augusto widened the margin with a strike on the edge of the six-yard box while Sunday danced past two defenders to complete the rout in stoppage time.

At the Birshreshtha Shaheed Mostafa Kamal Stadium, Chattogram Abahani suffered a 2-0 defeat against Rahmatganj MFS.

The sixth defeat in 22 matches saw the port city outfit stay in the fourth position with 40 points while Rahmatganj MFS leapfrogged to ninth in the 13-team table with 21 points from as many matches.

After a goalless first half, Nigerian forward Felix Chidi gave Rahmatganj MFS an 81st-minute lead before Mahmudul Hasan Kiron wrapped up the game in stoppage time.