Kings suffer narrow loss to Al-Seeb

Bashundhara Kings suffered a 3-2 defeat against Omani league champions Al-Seeb in an entertaining opening fixture of the AFC Challenge League at the Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Stadium in Kuwait on Saturday.

The game swung back and forth before Al-Seeb came from behind to snatch all three points, overturning a 2-1 deficit early in the second half. A lively crowd was in attendance, including a sizable group of Kings supporters.

The five-time Bangladesh champions fell behind in the seventh minute when Nasser Al-Rawahi controlled a clever through-ball inside the box and fired past goalkeeper Mehedi Hasan Srabon with a powerful finish.

Mario Gomez's men responded in the 41st minute as Raphael Augusto latched onto a through-ball from substitute Saad Uddin and unleashed a stunning volley to level the score.

Rakib Hossain then put the Bangladeshi side ahead nine minutes after the restart with a curling left-footed strike from outside the box. However, Al-Seeb equalised just seven minutes later through Zaher Al-Aghbari, who skillfully weaved his way into the area before finishing coolly.

Abdul Aziz Al-Maqbali sealed the victory for the Omani side in the 77th minute, combining neatly with a teammate before slotting home as Kings struggled to cope with mounting pressure.