South American trio powers Kings

Bashundhara Kings resumed their Bangladesh Premier League campaign in style, registering their biggest victory of the season with a 6-0 thrashing of Uttar Baridhara Club in the first match of the second phase at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.

A brace each from Raul Becerra, Jonathan Fernandes and Robson Robinho took the defending champions to 37 points from 13 matches, 11 ahead of second-placed Sheikh Jamal DC who played a match less than the leaders.

Kings came into the match following a two-month gap since outplaying Abahani 4-1 in the last match of the first leg on February 28, and the defending champions began from where they left off despite some injury issues.

From the outset, Kings maintained their usual attacking approach to take the lead in the third minute when Becerra headed home a long throw-in from Iranian defender Khaled Shafiei before Fernandes, availing a cutback from Robinho, doubled the lead with a drive inside the box in the 11th minute.

The Brazilian midfielder then turned provider for his compatriot Robinho, who coolly placed a cutback home in the 34th minute while defender Tariq Kazi was denied by the woodwork in the 38th minute.

After resumption, Uttar Baridhara looked a bit better on movements but they could hardly expose the defence of Kings, who added three more goals to better their season's biggest victory of the season till that point, a 6-1 win over Arambagh. 

Sujan Biswas found a clear chance to reduce the margin for Baridhara, who had 2-0 against the Kings in their first meeting, but the winger saw his polio drive blocked by defender Tapu Barman in the 50th minute before Fernandes scored his second goal with a grounder which Baridhara's substitute keeper Jashim Uddin failed grip in the 55th minute.

Becerra made it 5-0 in the 63rd minute with a soft left-footer after Mohammad Ibrahim entered the box from the right side to make space for the Argentine, who improved his goal tally to 13, just one less than top-scorer Robinho, who completed the rout in stoppage time by converting a spot-kick.

Kouakou denies Abahani

Abahani surrendered the lead twice to play out a 2-2 draw against Bangladesh Police, a team they had beaten 1-0 defeat in their first meeting of the league.

The Sky Blues looked a bit depressed with the news of their ineligibility for the AFC Cup but drew the blood first through Jewel Rana in the 35th-minute. Christian Kouakou equalised six minutes later before new-signing Sunday Chizoba restored Abahani's lead, only for Kouakou to level again in the 60th minute, leaving the Sky Blues with their fifth draw in 13 matches and in third position with 26 points.