A second-half brace from Emmanuel Sunday powered defending champions Mohammedan to a 2-1 win over Abahani, thereby clainching the top spot in Group B, on the final match day of group stage of the Federation Cup at the Sheikh Fazlul Haque Moni Stadium in Gopalganj on Tuesday.

“I call the hockey league ‘Dhaka Olympics’, because it happens once every two-three years,” said veteran hockey player Rasel Mahmud Jimmy, poking fun at the irregular nature of the Premier Division Hockey League which is set to be held after a gap of over two years.

Mohammedan Sporting Club ended Bashundhara Kings' unbeaten home record with a 1-0 win in a fascinating Bangladesh Premier League encounter at the Bashundhara Kings Arena yesterday.

Record 12-time champions Abahani and defending champions Mohammedan secured their quarterfinal spots in the Federation Cup with victories in their Group B matches on Monday.

Abahani's Brazilian forward Washington Brandao hit season’s first hattrick.

Mohammedan Sporting Club registered their second victory of the Bangladesh Premier League to stay hot on the heels of runaway leaders Bashundhara Kings, with both teams running comfortable winners as the league resumed following a 12-day break.

Elsewhere, Mohammedan SC play Brothers Union in Rajshahi, while Chittagong Abahani and Rahmatganj MFS clash in Munshiganj.

With the win, the Kings have now equalled Mohammedan’s tally of three titles in the Independence Cup.

Bashundhara Kings and Mohammedan Sporting Club set up a final clash in the Independence Cup with victories in their respective semifinals today. 

Defending champions Bashundhara Kings will look to leave their continental miseries behind by booking a final berth in the first tournament of the season when they square off against two-time champions Abahani in the first semifinal of the Independence Cup today.

Bangladesh Army Football Team, guided by former national women's team coach Golam Rabbani Choton, held Mohammedan Sporting Club to a 2-2 draw in their Independence Cup fixture at the Bashundhara Kings Arena yesterday.

Federation Cup winners Mohammedan fell to a 2-1 defeat against Bangladesh Premier League champions Bashundhara Kings in a league encounter under floodlights at the Bashundhara Kings Arena today.

After playing domestic football for 25 years before calling time on his career in 2013, Alfaz Ahmed remains one of the most recognisable names in Bangladesh football. The former national forward has returned to the spotlight after masterminding Mohammedan's epic triumph against archrivals Abahani in the Federation Cup final on Tuesday. The 49-year-old, who has been with Mohammedan for three seasons, spoke to The Daily Star's Anisur Rahman about the final and other topics. The excerpts are below:

Captain Souleymane Diabate engineered an extraordinary fightback as Mohammedan beat archrivals Abahani 4-2 on penalties following a 4-4 draw in regular and extra time during a topsy-turvy Federation Cup final in Cumilla yesterday to clinch their first title in nine years.

For over a decade, numerous clashes between Mohammedan and Abahani, which once attracted thousands and brought out the best of a fierce rivalry, have been held almost silently in front of nearly deserted stands. But today's Federation Cup final between the country's most crowd-pulling outfits has suddenly turned up the heat in the country's football fraternity.

Mohammedan Sporting Club, one of the oldest clubs in Bangladesh whose evolution since inception had been driven through sheer emotion from numerous passionate fans across the country, is more than a sporting outfit.

The two sides met later twice in cup finals during the 2009 Super Cup and 2011 Super Cup, with the Black and Whites winning the former and the Sky Blues having the last laugh two years later.

The May 30 final will be the first cup final between the country’s two most popular football clubs in 12 years. The last time these two teams met in a final was in the 2011 Super Cup, where Abahani came out victorious.

Mahidul Islam Ankon was star performer for Mohammedan as he smashed a run-a-ball unbeaten 125 to help his side amass 276 for six. The Motijheel outfit then dismissed Shinepukur for 224 runs

Mohammedan Sporting Club registered their second win of the ongoing Dhaka Premier League season as they beat Agrani Bank Cricket Club by 39 runs at the BKSP-4 Ground on Wednesday.