Fortis FC marked a historic milestone in their first-ever appearance in an international tournament by defeating Kyrgyzstan’s Muras United 1-0. The AFC Challenge League match, held at the Bashundhara Kings Arena, saw Md Ibrahim score the decisive goal, securing a spot for the club in the tournament’s main round.
The opportunity for Fortis to compete in the Challenge League arose due to the FIFA sanctions currently imposed on Bangladesh Premier League champions Bashundhara Kings and runners-up Dhaka Abahani. As the third-place finishers in the league, Fortis stepped in to represent the country, marking a promising start to their international journey.
From the opening whistle, Fortis applied consistent pressure on the visitors, though they struggled to convert their chances. In the 22nd minute, Omar Babu missed a golden opportunity after breaking through the left flank and finding himself one-on-one with the Muras goalkeeper, only to see his shot strike the side post. Despite a resilient defensive effort from the Kyrgyz side, the first half concluded without a goal.
The second half saw Muras United create several scoring opportunities, but they were repeatedly thwarted by the sharp reflexes of Fortis’s Sri Lankan goalkeeper, Sujan Perera. The deadlock was finally broken in the 52nd minute when Ibrahim capitalized on a through ball from Omar Babu, controlling it with his right foot before firing a precise left-footed shot into the net. Fortis nearly doubled their lead in the 56th minute, but a brilliant save from the Muras keeper kept the scoreline tight.
Drama unfolded in the 74th minute when a shot by Madanov Ismoilovich struck the hand of Eric Bista inside the penalty area, resulting in a penalty kick for Muras. However, Atabaev Erbol failed to capitalize on the opportunity, as his right-footed strike hit the side post and rebounded away. This narrow escape preserved the lead, allowing Fortis to walk away with a memorable victory in their inaugural international match.
