Mohammedan and Sheikh Russel share the spoils

A rejuvenated Mohammedan Sporting Club surrendered an early lead to play out a 1-1 draw against Sheikh Russel KC in a Bangladesh Premier League fixture in Mymensingh on Friday.

At Rafiq Uddin Bhuiyan Stadium, Malian forward-cum-captain Souleymane Diabate put Mohammedan ahead with his season's first strike in the 10th minute, only to be cancelled out by Burundian forward Selemani Landry Ndikumana in the 64th minute.

Both sides came into their second-round match on the back of a victory but Mohammedan looked more proactive on the pitch to create a few good chances in the first half; most of them were produced in counter attacks but the Black and Whites could not convert more than one chance.

However, four minutes from the break, Sheikh Russel came close to leveling the margin when Selemani drove a powerful shot inside the box but goalkeeper Sujan Hossain denied the Burundi forward.

After resumption, Mohammedan failed to keep their momentum, allowing Sheikh Russel to press more while Suman Reza and Selemane were looking more and more threatening for the Mohammedan backline. In the 50th minute, Suman placed a nice lob for Selemane, who chested down the ball well but the Mohammedan goalkeeper was quick to pounce on it.

Sujan, however, could not stop Selemane in the 64th minute when Suman him up with an overhead lob and the Burundi forward latched a powerful left-footer inside the box, locking the scoreline at 1-1.

So near and yet so far for Brothers 

Meanwhile, at Birshreshtha Shaheed Flight Lt Matiur Rahman Stadium in Munshiganj, Rahmatganj MFS -- who held mighty Abahani to a 1-1 in the previous game -- came from behind twice to play out a 2-2 draw against promoted Brothers Union.

Rahmatganj -- who beat Brothers twice in the year the Gopibagh-based outfit faced elimination in the 2021 season -- went down in the very 18th minute when Otabek Valijonov converted a penalty from the spot to give Brothers a lead after defender Mohammad Tareq handled the ball.

Then Ghanaian forward Ernest Boateng levelled the margin in the 25th minute with his second-effort header following a cross from the left flank.

After the break, Brothers restored the lead with a nice strike when Mahbubur Rahman, being set by a diagonal pass from Mostafa, darted into the box to finish with a powerful right-footer in the 67th minute.

However, Rahmatganj bit back again, and this time Samin Yasar equalized with a nice header in the 88th minute after Ghanaian Ernest Boateng headed a long ball into the box.