Mohammedan come from behind to down Arambagh

Title contenders Mohammedan SC got their Federation Cup campaign off to a winning start when the Black and Whites came from behind to beat Arambagh KS 3-1 in their first match at Gopalganj District Stadium on Tuesday.

Forward Sourav Dewan, midfielder Sohel Rana Jr and striker Souleymane Diabate scored one goal apiece in the second half after Ghanaian Suraj Rayies stunned Mohammedan SC by giving Arambagh KS a first-half lead.

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The victory in their Federation Cup opener meant Argentinian-Spanish coach Fernando Varela's charges made it two wins in two matches despite having had little preparation.

Following a 1-0 win over Fakirerpool Young Men's Club in the Bangladesh Football League, coach Varela had all six of Mohammedan SC's national players available after their return from international duty in the FIFA ASEAN Cup.

However, the experienced coach drafted only two national players -- Saad Uddin and Sohel Rana Jr -- into the starting XI, before introducing Shahriar Emon as a substitute. The Black and Whites controlled the game from the outset, with Sourav Dewan seeing his glancing header narrowly miss the far post in the 11th minute.

Mohammedan conceded against the run of play when Ghanaian Suraj Rayies capitalised on an errant back pass from Mohammedan captain Muzaffarvojon Muzaffarov and lobbed it over the advancing goalkeeper Anisur Rahman Zico to stun Mohammedan in the 16th minute.

After going behind, Mohammedan mounted pressure on Arambagh KS but failed to beat goalkeeper Azad Hossain. He first made a brilliant save to thwart a close-range header from Sourav in the 24th minute before denying Malian forward Souleymane Diabate from the penalty spot in the 38th minute, diving to his left to stop the spot-kick after substitute Arif Hossain had been brought down inside the box.

After the resumption, Varela made a change, bringing on Nigerian Emmanul Sunday in place of Muzaffarov on the hour mark, and the substitution made the difference in the latter stages as Sunday turned provider for the last two goals after Sourav had levelled the score in the 57th minute.

Defender Zahid Hossain Shanto won the ball from an opponent and ran down the middle before releasing a neat forward pass for Sourav, who made no mistake from inside the box to place it home.

Sohel Rana Jr then controlled a lob from Sunday inside the box before latching on to it with a left-footed finish in the 74th minute.

With the clock into the five minutes of stoppage time, it was again Sunday who delivered a cross from the left touchline for Diabate, and the Malian scored his first goal for Mohammedan SC this season in the fourth minute of added time after spending last season with Abahani.

In the day's other matches, Bashundhara Kings blanked Dhaka Wanderers Club 5-0, while newcomers City Club played out a 1-1 draw after scoring in the dying moments of second-half stoppage time.