Abahani Limited celebrated their sixth premier league title with finishing a goalless draw with Chittagong Abahani in their last match at Bangabandhu National Stadium in the capital yesterday.

Abahani Limited officially celebrated the Saif Power Battery Bangladesh Premier League football championship when the championship trophy was handed over to them amid festivity all over the stadium.

Abahani made its six times out of ten professional football league. They crowned the league championship for first three times in a row.  

Some hundreds of fans came to celebrate the championship when they came with colourful rally riding on horse carriages bearing banners, festoons and wearing T-shirts.

During the match yesterday against Chittagong Abahani, though there was a poor attendance at the gallery, but their joys knew no bounds when they gathered with band party and rejoiced with continuous fire-works with chanting slogan ‘Abahani, Abahani’.  

This time it was something special for the Sky-Blues when they came from behind, as right at the midway of the league it has become uncertain whether they would be able to retain the title or not while they were pushed back to fourth position after a shocking defeat to Saif Power Sporting Club, who were also one of the title contenders.  

After that the traditional giants did not look back as they won nine matches and drew one after the shocking defeat in the first match of the second leg to Saif Power Sporting before  confirming the title before the last match to play.  

In fact after getting rid of initial scare, Abahani turned into stubborn to overpower all the rivals on the way to win the title.           

On the other hands, Chittagong Abahani, who kept the top position of the point table up to 17th round, could not keep up the momentum as they dropped points after an awful defeat to Muktijoddha (0-2) and 1-1 draw with Brothers and finally 1-3 defeat to Sheikh Jamal and the frustration of Chittagong outfit stretched further when Saif Sporting demolished them by 0-3.

However, yesterday in the last match, both the Abahani displayed an entertaining match when both the sides were in attacking approach throughout 90 minutes times but Chittagong were a bit ahead in possession and creating chances.

The champion could finish it with winning note but a strong effort of Emeka Darlington shattered the side post before few minutes of the final whistle.

Zahid Ahsan Russel, chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Youth and Sports Ministry, handed over the trophy as chief guest to the champions Abahani Limited and the runners up trophy to Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club.

Waly Faisal, in his immediate reaction after the match said, “It is incredible to win the league title six times out of ten. Some setbacks at the midway of the league could demoralise us, we had confidence and kept our perseverance, strict to our commitment and did hard work to reach the goal and finally made it success.”