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Title Abahani's with thrilling draw

Anisur Rahman
The famous Sky Blues of Abahani regained the coveted professional
league title for the fourth time in five years after playing out an enthralling 2-2 tie against Muktijoddha Sangsad in their high-voltage, title-deciding Grameenphone Bangladesh Premier League clash at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.
Yesterday's draw means that Abahani finished on 45 points from their 20 games which is just agonizingly clear of the 44 that Muktijoddha Sangsad have managed to compile through the course of the season. As such, Tuesday's riveting draw was vital and it came despite the best efforts from Muktijoddha’s Nigerian striker Sunday Chizoba who struck twice only to see his strikes cancelled out by Abahani's Zahid Hossain and Shakhawat Hossain Rony.
In a way, it was apt that the denouement of a season where the Sky Blues and the Reds of Muktis have been neck and neck throughout, came through a virtual final between the two, mirroring last season's title-decider between Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club and Brothers Union.
And for what it was worth, the match
lived up to its eminent billing.
It was end to end football for the best part, the players making up in vigour what they lacked in technique, with the momentum swinging one way and another before Abahani showed the qualities that has made them repeat champions, coming back from behind twice to snatch the draw that they needed. It would not be a stretch to say that
this was the best match of the league season so far, played in a rain-soaked pitch at the Bangabandhu National Stadium.
Abahani needed only a draw to retain the title, but they Sky Blues never played for one, concentrating instead on imposing their own style on a Muktijoddha side who had come into thecameonthebackoffour consecutive wins.
The attacking approach from the Sky
Blues nearly paid early dividends with both Twum Frank and Awudu Ibrahim spurning presentable opportunities inside the first fifteen minutes. Muktijoddha gave as good as they got however and with their midfield trio of Sauza Lima, Maruf Ahmed and Mamunul Islam working hard, there were intermittent opportunities for the dangerous Sunday. The first of these was a stinging right-foot shot that tested the Abahani goalkeeper Ziaur Rahman.
Sunday's shot was a fair warning because with his next effort he put the Reds ahead. Defender Ariful Islam cut back a Lima corner from close to the byline and Sunday showed his predatory instincts to strike from inside the six-yard box and silence the Abahani crowd.
The lead served to coat over the loss of defender Ariful through a thigh strain midway through the half for Muktijoddha and Abahani responded by putting pressure through their forwards, but goalkeeper Mostak held firm as Abahani ended the first-half a goal down and staring at the possibility of conceding the title.
Forced into action, the Sky Blues rang the changes Shakhawat Hossain Rony coming on
SEE PAGE 17 COL 2 FROM PAGE 16
in place of winger Touhidul Islam, But despite his superior movement, Abahani found it hard to breach the Muktijoddha backline.
With the clock ticking beyond the hour, the Muktis adopted a slightly more reserved approach and paid the price soon after. Rony had threatened often as an extra presence inside the penalty area and it was he who drove a stake through the heart of the Muktijoddha defence.
But the goal owed much to Zahid who outpaced two defenders before sending in a low cross that was sent in by the substitute on the second attempt.
Far from being despondent, the Reds struck back almost immediately. Sunday again edged beyond the defence to poke home a long free-kick from the right and send the players and the fans into rapturous albeit premature celebrations.
They paid the price quite cruelly and again Zahid was the catalyst, outpacing the defence and getting to a lob ahead of the
goalkeeper before heading in from close range to ensure the draw that Abahani needed to confirm the title.
For the heart-broken Muktijodhha players it was the second successive season of 'so close yet so far' as they again fell behind by a single point as they had in the previous season.
TEAMS
ABAHANI: Ziaur Rahman, Samad Yossif, Wali Faisal, Mohmmad Sujan, Mohammad Linkon, Pranotosh Kumar, Yoko Samnick, Zahid Hossain (Mamun Mia), Touhidul Alam (Shahkawat Hossain Rony), Awudu Ibrahim and Twum Frank.
MUKTIJODDHA SANGSAD: Maksudur Rahman Mustak, Ariful Islam (Mofazzal Hossain Saikta), Rafael De Androde, Emmanuel Demi, Nasir Chowdhury, Maruf Ahmed (Mithun Chowdhury), Mamunul Islam, De Sauza Lima (Ansiur Rahman Sweet), Shakil Ahmed, Zahid Hossain Emily and Sunday Chizoba.
Referee: Azad Rahman.