Match-Fixing?? : Abahani-Mohammedan Match Decided in Tie-breaker

[babubangla]

Abahani defeated Mohammedan by 4-2 in Tie-breaker in the Federation Cup 3rd Place decider match today in Dhaka. This is Mohammedan's 3rd consecutive defeat to Abahani including the infamous 5-1 defeat this month.

Both Clubs tried to avoid this match showing the excuse of player injury. Both Abahani and Mohammedan failed to fulfill their supporter’s expectation in all tournaments since last year. This year is the worst year for both club including couple of humiliating defeat. Several news media reported that both club officials came to an agreement to avoid the game because any further defeat to any side will become the victim of supporters rage. But Football Federation forced them to play. Janakantha reported yesterday that there is a chance of math fixing where both club will avoid defeat in the 90 minute match and then go tie-breaker for trying their luck. This way they both will be able to avoid defeat in the match and a tie-breaker defeat is much more of a consolation to the supporters. It will be a shameful incident if the Janakantha report of a possible match-fixing come true.

The result of today's match exactly followed the media report. 90 minute match was goal-less. Then in Tie-breaker, Abahani won the lottery. This might be a coincident. Or it might be an incident of match-fixing. We will have to wait till the sports report comes on tomorrow’s newspapers.

It may or may not be a fixed match.
BUT....isn't it shameful enough that we are in a situation to discuss a possible Abahani-Mohammedan match-fixing. From my childhood, I used to watch Abahani-Mohammedan match as an arch-rivalry, a classic thriller and a game of honor. Alas!! Now they came so down that people can even thing about match-fixing!!!