Ten-man Abahani stun Kings in penalty thriller to reach final

Despite being reduced to ten men late in the first half, Abahani held their nerve in a tense tie-breaker to defeat Bashundhara Kings and book their place in the final.

In the intense heat at the Shaheed Dhirendranath Dutta Stadium on Tuesday, a modest but spirited crowd gathered, creating a festive atmosphere in the stands. On the pitch, however, the football was subdued for much of the match. Both sides struggled to find rhythm, and Abahani suffered an early blow when Asaduzzaman Bablu was shown a second yellow card in the 42nd minute, leaving his team a man short.

Kings took the lead in the second half, but Abahani fought back late to equalise, taking the game into extra time and eventually winning 4–2 on penalties after a 1–1 draw at the end of 120 minutes.

In the shootout, Abahani's Jafor Iqbal saw his effort saved by Anisur Rahman Zico, but Rafael Augusto, Emeka, Sabuj and Mohammad Ibrahim all converted. For Kings, Jonathan Fernandes and Sheikh Morsalin scored, but Mitul saved Rabbi Hossain Rahul's shot, and Brazilian debutant Deciel fired over the crossbar.

The result marked Abahani's second win over Kings at this venue, having also beaten them here in December during the Premier League—Maruful Haque's side repeating that success when it mattered most.

Kings missed defender Kazi Tariq Raihan due to a neck injury, and coach Valerio Tite opted not to start returning Argentine forward Juan Eduardo Lescano. The absence of both was felt in Kings' attacking fluency.

The opening stages were cagey, with few chances before the first cooling break in the 28th minute. Abahani sat deep, focusing on defence, while Kings—hit by injuries—struggled to carve out meaningful opportunities.

Kings' first real threat came in the 16th minute when Fernandes' free-kick found Deciel, whose header was well saved by Abahani goalkeeper Mitul Marma. Later, Faisal Ahmed Fahim forced another fine stop from Mitul, while Mujibur Rahman Jony fired just wide.

Abahani were dealt a major setback in the 42nd minute as Bablu received his marching orders for a foul on Fahim. Coach Maruful responded by shoring up the defence, replacing midfielder Robiul Hasan with Shakil Hossain. The first half ended goalless.

Kings broke the deadlock in the 57th minute. A long ball from Fernandes slipped between defenders Yasin Khan and Shakil, allowing Jony to poke it past a stranded Mitul—Abahani conceded their first goal of the tournament.

Following the second cooling break in the 75th minute, Abahani mounted a late resurgence. With six minutes left, Rafael Augusto's free-kick rebounded off the post, and substitute Arman Faisal Akash calmly chested it down and finished to level the score.

Extra time saw more chances for both sides. Mitul denied Emeka with a smart foot save, and later parried a Mirajul Islam header. Morsalin spurned a golden chance in the 110th minute, firing wide from close range.

Kings brought on Zico in place of Mehedi Hasan Shrabon in the 118th minute to prepare for penalties, but Abahani's composure under pressure saw them through.

Rahmatganj stay alive with comeback win over Brothers Union

In the second qualifier at the Rafiquddin Bhuiyan Stadium in Mymensingh, Rahmatganj recovered from a goal down to beat Brothers Union 2–1 and keep their title hopes alive.

Brothers Union took the lead in the 35th minute through Emphon Sunday, who curled a short-corner routine past keeper Habib. Rahmatganj equalised in the 63rd minute when Samuel Boateng headed home from a corner.

They found the winner in the first half of extra time, as a mishit clearance fell kindly to Solomon, who slotted home with composure. Rahmatganj held on to secure the win.

They will now face Bashundhara Kings in the final qualifier on 15 April, with the winner earning the right to face Abahani in the final the following week.