The defending champions Bashundhara Kings made a winning start in the 15th Bangladesh Premier League 2022-23 after beating Bangladesh Championship League runners-up Azampur Football Club Uttara by 3-0 goals at their home at the Bashundhara Kings Arena of Bashundhara Sports Complex on Friday.
Their Brazilian captain Robson Robinho struck first from a straight free-kick from inside the box in the 5th minute (1-0) while his compatriot forward Dorielton Gomes Nascimento and local forward Rakib Hossain extended the margin 3-0 within scoring one each in span of 10 minutes (19th to 29th minute).
Dorielton, who scored 9 goals to become the top scorer in Independence Cup 2022-23, headed the ball into the net off a corner from another Brazilian midfielder Miguel Figueira Damasceno while Rakib buried the ball with a right footed close range shot off a short pass from Robson.
The three-time BPL champions Kings earlier made a winning start in the ongoing domestic season 2022-23 as they for the second time clinched the Independence Cup title beating former champions Sheikh Russel Krira Chakra Ltd by 4(2)-1(2) goals last week.
They beat Azampur FC by the same 3-0 goals margin in their Group A match of that competition in Gopalganj.
In the day’s other matches, the BPL runners-up Dhaka Abahani Ltd played a 1-1 draw with BCL champions Fortis FC Ltd at the Shaheed Dhirendranath Stadium in Cumilla and Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club Ltd played a 2-2 draw with Rahamatgonj Muslim Friends Society at Sheikh Fazlul Haque Mani Stadium in Gopalganj.
In Cumilla, Brazilian forward Luiz Carlos Caetano de Azevedo Junior put handed over a 1-0 lead to Fortis FC in the 36th minute but defender Riyadul Hasan Rafi equalized the margin for Abahani in the 90th minute.
In Gopalganj, midfielder Koushik Barua took 1-0 lead for Sheikh Jamal DC with a left footer grounder in the 17th minute, but Brazilian forward Michael Vinicius Silva de Morais leveled the margin for Rahamatgonj MFS with a header in the 53rd minute (1-1).
Within two minutes, Uzbek midfielder Otabek Valizhonov again took 2-1 lead for Sheikh Jamal utilizing a defensive error in the 55th minute, but Mohammed Munna again equalized for the old Dhaka outfit Rahamatgonj in the 65th minute (2-2).
Meanwhile, Sheikh Russel KC will host Police Football Club at the Bashundhara Kings Arena and Mohammedan Sporting Club will take on Muktijoddha Sangsad Krira Chakra in Cumilla today, both at 2:30 pm.
BDST: 1849 HRS, DEC 9, 2022
MSK
