Mohammedan run riot

Mohammedan Sporting Club stormed back into contention for a final-four berth in the Sheikh Kamal International Club Cup after a resounding 6-1 victory against Solid SC of Sri Lanka in their Group A fixture at the MA Aziz Stadium yesterday.

Six players got on the scoresheet for the Black and Whites, who were handed a 1-0 defeat by De Spin Ghar Bazan in their opening match on Wednesday, as they ran riot over the Sri Lankan outfit. The second match of the day, and arguably the best match of the tournament so far, saw the Afghans being held to a 3-3 draw by Kolkata Mohammedan as all four teams of the group kept their hopes of advancing into the knock-out rounds alive.

Mohammedan coach Josimuddin Joshi made some positional changes to his side and brought a couple of changes to the starting eleven as well by drafting in winger Faisal Mahmud and defender Sohel Rana in place of Mobarak Hossain and Olabanji Alani respectively. Midfielder Mashuk Mia Johnny was fielded upfront in a bid to creating more space for striker Nabib Newaz Jibon, who was the architect behind the first two goals.

Jonny ran into the box from the right to provide a cut-back for Jibon, who left the ball for unmarked Faisal and the winger placed the ball home to put Mohammedan ahead in the 10th minute.

Then Jibon, who squandered at least three scoring chances in the first match, suddenly accelerated his pace in the middle of the opposition midfield and teed the ball up for Johnny, who tapped in to double the margin in 18th minute. Six minutes later, skipper Arup Kumar Baidya found the back of the net with an angled shot from inside the box before Jibon made it 4-0 from a rebound off a Faisal cross in the 32nd minute.

Solid SC pulled one back in stoppage time of the first half through OA Olayemi, who danced past two defenders and rounded off goalkeeper Ashraful Haque Rana with a solo effort.     

However, Mohammedan struck two more goals to wrap up the victory when Lamine Camara headed a Faisal cross home in the 49th minute and substitute Habibur Rahman Shohag stabbed home from inside the box in the 76th minute.   

Joshi dedicated the win to Mohammedan's former under-16 player, Razib, who died in a road accident on Tuesday on way to Manikganj from his home district of Magura.  

Meanwhile Kolkata Mohammedan and De Spin Ghar Bazan shared the spoils of a topsy-turvy draw in the day's second match under floodlights. The Afghan champions took the lead three times only to see the Kolkata outfit hit back to salvage a point, which kept the latter hanging by a thread and extended the former's wait for a semifinal berth.

Anwar Akbari, Fardin Hakimi and Reza Allah Yari struck for De Spin Ghar while Omolaja Nurain, Taurus Tecompleh and Kazeem Amobi netted one goal each for Kolkata Mohammedan.