Mohammedan Sporting Club have clinched their first professional league title and their first Bangladesh football league championship in 23 years. On Saturday, despite not playing themselves, the historic club became champions with three matches in hand after Abahani suffered a 2-1 defeat against Fortis FC.
The match took place at the Shaheed Dhirendranath Datta Stadium in Cumilla. Fortis FC took the lead in the 19th minute. They doubled the lead in the 77th minute, despite being reduced to 10 men just two minutes earlier when Omar Sajib received a red card. Mohammedan’s hopes were revived as Fortis conceded a goal in the 80th minute, but managed to hold on for the win.
Fortis’s victory widened the gap between Mohammedan and Abahani to 10 points. With only three games remaining, this means that even if Mohammedan lose all their remaining matches, they will still finish top of the league. This marks their first top-flight league title since 2003, and their first since the league was rebranded as the professional football league in 2007. It ends an 18-year title drought in the professional era.
Last season, Mohammedan also came close to winning the title but couldn’t sustain their run until the end. This time, however, results have gone their way. Rain even played a part in Fortis’s win—lightning and rain halted the match in the 18th minute. When play resumed, Fortis were awarded a penalty just a minute later, which they successfully converted.
UA / TDS
