Rajshahi Stars out after second defeat

Rajshahi Stars suffered their second successive defeat in the preliminary stage of the AFC Women’s Champions League, losing 2-1 to hosts Sabah FC of Malaysia in their second Group A match in Kota Kinabalu on Thursday.

The result ended Rajshahi's hopes of reaching the 12-team final round. They will now play their final group match against winless Rovers FC of Guam on August 23.

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Coming off a 4-0 defeat to East Bengal FC in their opening match, Rajshahi needed a much-improved display and made a promising start. They twice came close to taking the lead inside the opening 11 minutes, but failed to capitalise.

Rajshahi thought they had broken the deadlock after the half-hour mark when Tohura Khatun found the net, but the goal was ruled out for handball inside the box.

Sabah then took the lead three minutes before the break. Misaki Nakayama surged past three Rajshahi defenders before slipping a neat pass through to Starks, who calmly placed her shot into the bottom corner.

Rajshahi created another good opportunity after the restart, with Shamsunnahar receiving a long ball from Bimala BK in the 62nd minute. She managed to get her effort past the advancing Junaidi, but the ball narrowly missed the right post.

Sabah doubled their advantage in the 80th minute when Starks completed her brace.

Rajshahi pulled one back seven minutes later through Mosammat Sultana, who produced an audacious long-range effort from the edge of the box. Her looping shot sailed over Junaidi and into the net.

The Bangladesh champions pushed for an equaliser in the closing minutes, but Sabah held firm to secure all three points and leave Rajshahi without a point from their opening two matches.