Abahani fall to Brothers after 11 years; Mohammedan drop points again

Abahani and Mohammedan's disappointing start to the Bangladesh Football League continued as both sides failed to secure wins in their respective fixtures on Sunday.

Defending champions Mohammedan SC managed only a point after surrendering a lead in a 1-1 draw against Bangladesh Police FC at the Shaheed Barkat Stadium in Gazipur, while six-time champions Abahani suffered a 2-1 defeat to Brothers Union -- their first loss to the Gopibagh-based outfit in 11 years -- at the Shaheed Dhirendranath Datta Stadium in Cumilla.

In the opening round, Abahani were held to a goalless draw against Rahmatganj MFS, while Mohammedan fell 2-0 to Fortis FC. After a 22-day break, the second round brought contrasting fortunes once again for the two powerhouses.

In Cumilla, Brothers Union took an early lead in the third minute through Nepalese forward Anjan Bista, who tapped in a low cross from Brazilian Marcus Rudwere. Rudwere then doubled the advantage from the penalty spot after Hasan Murad fouled Anjan from behind.

Malian forward Souleymane Diabate pulled one back for Abahani in stoppage time with his first goal for the Sky Blues, but it proved too late to prevent defeat. The result marked Brothers Union's first win over Abahani since March 18, 2014, and only their third overall in the professional league since its inception in 2007. Brothers now sit fourth in the table with three points from two matches.

In Gazipur, Mohammedan recovered from their first-round defeat to maintain their unbeaten record against Bangladesh Police, who have now drawn seven of their 11 league encounters with the Black and Whites.

Alfaz Ahmed's charges took the lead in the 19th minute when Rahim Uddin volleyed home a long throw-in from Rahmat Mia, but SM Bablu equalised with a header in the 49th minute.

Both Mohammedan and Abahani now sit eighth and ninth respectively in the 10-team standings with a single point each -- three behind joint leaders Bangladesh Police FC and Rahmatganj MFS, the latter beating Fakirerpool Young Men's Club 1-0 at the Shaheed Miraj-Tapan Stadium in Manikganj yesterday.