Kings regain BFL title with win over Abahani

Bashundhara Kings regained the Bangladesh Football League title with a match to spare after beating rivals Abahani Limited 2-0 in the penultimate round at the Shaheed Dhirendranath Datta Stadium on Friday.

Brazilian forward Dorielton Gomes broke the deadlock from the penalty spot in the 71st minute before Sohel Rana sealed the victory with an eye-catching strike from outside the box in the 77th minute, helping Kings equal Abahani’s record of six professional football league titles.

Having won the one-off Challenge Cup at the start of the season and now adding the league title, Bashundhara Kings will have the chance to complete a domestic treble when they square off against Mohammedan in the final of the Federation Cup on May 19.  

Despite missing key local players Rakib Hossain and Rimon Hossain, along with self-withdrawn foreign recruits Emmanuel Sunday and Emmanuel Tony, Kings still had enough quality to overcome Abahani -- a side they had beaten 15 times in 21 meetings before today’s clash.

Kings looked far more confident throughout the encounter, while Abahani appeared hesitant despite needing an outright win to keep their title hopes alive and move closer to ending a seven-season drought since their last league triumph in the 2017-18 campaign.

The side coached by AKM Maruful Haque struggled with erratic passing despite coming into the match on the back of seven straight victories. Their backline also made costly mistakes, with captain Asaduzzaman Bablu conceding the penalty before Sohel was allowed too much space to score the second without any serious challenge from Abahani defenders.

Kings, meanwhile, impressed with their determination and hunger to reclaim the title, especially after dropping four points during the second phase of the league.

The win was Kings’ 11th of the campaign and took them to an unassailable 38 points from 17 matches, four clear of both Abahani and Fortis FC, who each have 34 points from 17 games with one match remaining.

Meanwhile, Fakirerpool Young Men's Club were relegated from the top tier following their 1-0 defeat at home against PWD. The goal, scored deep into stoppage time by Sayed Ahmed, confirmed Fakirerpool's to 10th-position finish while moving PWD to eighth position and temporary safety. 

The league will come to an end next week.