On 10th July, the match between Rahmatganj Muslim Friends Society and Farashganj Sporting Club began with a lot of hype. Both clubs have reputations which are preceded by their previous performances. This was a match which determined where these two root-level teams are headed in the premier league.
It didn’t take too long to understand why this match was of immense priority. As mentioned before, the result of this game was a mystery particularly because of the past matches played by the teams. The game kicked off with Farashganj taking the lead, and it paid off smoothly for them at the beginning when defender Farhaduzzaman Babu took a curved corner which gave Nigerian midfielder Akinye Peter the leverage to score the first goal with a header.
After the first goal, things started to look up for the Farashganj defense; they had their guard up every time a player from the opposition tried scoring a goal. Rahmatganj was visibly agitated after their opponents easily scored a goal past them. However, that didn’t prevent them from fighting back. They strived to keep away Farashganj players from charging past their defense. As the first half carried on, Rahmatganj attempted to score goals, but their shots weren’t strong enough to make it past Farashganj goalie Sujan Chowdhury; he managed to save quite a lot of goals. Their buildup seemed a little weak, because they took long shots which slowed down as soon as it reached the goalpost. Farashganj charged towards Rahmatganj goalie Md. Al Amin, at the 23rd minute but were inches away from actually scoring the goal.
Since Farashganj had a good start to the game, they played rather aggressively against their opponents. Despite having the upper hand, Farashganj also struggled to score quite a lot of goals in the first half. It was a neck in neck joust as both teams invested all their might into protecting their respective goal posts. In the 24th minute, Farashganj midfielder Uche Felix sent a through pass to forward Pasbon Mollah, unfortunately the goal couldn’t make it into the post. Players from both teams resorted to sliding tackles in order to distract them from carrying the ball forward. Akinye Peter collided with a player from from Farashganj which made him collapse for a while, but he soon returned to the game.
Although Farashganj was leading the game, they had a tough time scoring goals further into the game. Some of their long shots and headers which were built up as goals went right out of bounds.
As the teams continued to cut each other off from getting ahead, it was Mollah who scored the second goal for Farashganj at the 52nd minute. By this time, the crowd was literally roaring and chanting “Farashganj” and it was assumed that the victory for the club was right around the bend. But things took a rather different turn for both teams when at the 77th minute, Nigerian defender David Udoh Brown from Farashganj ended up sending a goal to their own post via a header, thus scoring the first point for Rahmatganj MFS. Finally, when the game was on the verge of ending (90+ extra time), all hell broke loose when Rahmatganj forward, Md. Helal scored the second goal for the club which tied both teams to a score of 2-2, a result that no one had anticipated throughout the game. Although most of the audience were supporting for Farashganj, the final goal resulted in cheering and the occasional banter from non-supporters. Both teams played an exhilarating game despite unfavorable weather.
Player Profile
Name: Didarul Alam
Age: 26
Club: Rahmatganj Muslim Friends Society
Position: Forward
How long have you been playing for Rahmatganj MFS?
It’s been a year since I have been playing for this club. I played for clubs like Team BJMC and Brothers Union.
Have you always played as a forward?
No. I’ve played as a striker for Brothers Union and as a forward for Team BJMC. I figured that I’m more comfortable playing in the current position.
How much have you evolved as a player throughout the league?
I have gained a lot of confidence from playing in the league. This is something I lacked before.
How do you cope with difficulties during matches?
I always try to think positively and this eventually helps me to get ahead.
What do you have to say about your overall performances in the league?
The game with Farashganj SC was tough for me as I’m not used to playing on a muddy field. In the matches against Sheikh Russel KC, Abahani and Sheikh Jamal DC I performed pretty well and my club can vouch for me.