Soccer Club, Feni pulled a major upset in the Modhumoti Bank Independence Cup by throwing defending champions Sheikh Russell out with a 4-3 win in the 2nd quarterfinal at the Bangabanhdu National Stadium yesterday.
The match was stretched to its limit, 90 minutes of the stipulated time plus 30 minutes of extra time before moving on to the shootout with the results locked 2-2. Plenty of drama prevailed in the field as Feni Soccer, boosted by the arrival of the Gambian quartet, proved stronger than Russell’s expectations. The Feni based outfit took the lead before restoring parity in the dying minutes, and keeping their heads cool to reach their first semifinal after the Federation Cup of 2009. On that occasion Feni Soccer lost to Mohammedan 2-0, but this time they will play against Brothers Union and have a fair chance to move into their first final.
Russell, who won the treble last season with the silverwares of Federation Cup, Independence Cup and the Bangladesh Premier League, failed to defend their second title after losing their second consecutive quarterfinal. Overall they lacked the perfect team spirit and the champions’ temperament.
Feni Soccer took the lead in the 8th minute of the match through their Gambian forward Kabba Jobe and could have gone further up in the 16th minute when Akbar Hossan Ridon, from an advantageous position, shot straight to Biplob. Feni Soccer came close to another strike in the 58th minute after Kabba Jobe cut a neat through pass to Landing Darboe whose angular shot missed the side post.
Francisco Usucar, the Uruguayan midfielder of Russell, saw his fierce shot from 20 yards out fly over the cross piece before Darboe missed a penalty in the 85th minute after Nigerian Chuka Charles was fouled by defender Rezaul Karim in the box. Landing’s shot was punched for a corner by Russell goalkeeper Biplob.
In the 88th minute Jamaican midfielder Ricardo Cousins placing shot deflected off Soccer goalkeeper Nehal and ended inside the post. The assistant referee declared it a goal before it was cleared by a Feni defender.
In the 116h minute of the second half of the extra time Feni Soccer defender Shahinur Rahman Shahin fouled Russell forward Robin inside the box and Pascal scored from the spot kick.
However in the very next minute Nigerian forward Chiuka Charles scored the equaliser after midfielder Rony Islam provided him a square pass and he beat Biplob in the far post.
After 120 minutes of football the match went to shootout where Kabba Jobe, Mathew Mendy, Ajmal Hossain Bidyut and Landing Darboe scored for Feni Soccer while Ali Hasan missed. Mithun Chowdhury, Savanovic, Pascal scored for Russell while Ricardo Cousins and Francisco Usucar, the two foreigners, let Russell down.