Brazilian forward Dorielton Gomes scored a brace as 10-man Bashundhara Kings retained the Bangladesh Challenge Cup title with a 4-1 win over Mohammedan Sporting Club in the season鈥檚 curtain-raiser match at the Shaheed Dhirendranath Datta Stadium in Cumilla on Friday.
Apart from Dorielton, Brazilian midfielder Raphael Augusto and Nigerian forward Emmanuel Sunday scored once each for Kings, while Uzbekistani midfielder Muzaffar Muzaffarov pulled one goal back for Mohammedan.
It began with Dorielton鈥檚 cool penalty in the eighth minute after he was brought down inside the box. Mohammedan responded swiftly, with Muzaffarov drawing level from the spot just seven minutes later.
The early exchange set the tone for a tense battle, and the first half ended with the sides locked at 1-1.
Kings were reduced to 10-man in the 62nd minute when midfielder Sohel Rana was shown a second yellow card.
Mohammedan appeared poised to take the advantage; however, the opposite transpired. Kings shifted into a higher gear and, from that point on, looked unstoppable, netting three goals within a mere 14-minute span鈥攆rom the 72nd to the 86th minute鈥攅xtending the lead beyond Mohammedan鈥檚 reach. 听
Augusto struck in the 72nd minute to restore the lead, before Sunday 鈥� who played for Mohammedan in the last season 鈥� buried his former side with a clinical finish three minutes later.
Dorielton then delivered the final flourish in the 86th minute, sealing a 4-1 scoreline and sparking celebrations among the Kings鈥� faithful.
The closing stages were briefly overshadowed when frustrated Mohammedan fans hurled bottles and flares onto the pitch, causing a short stoppage.
But the afternoon still belonged to Kings, who secured the season鈥檚 opening silverware, with the Bangladesh Premier League, Federation Cup, Independence Cup, and Super Cup still to come.
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