Saif Sporting Club was simply victim of misfortune when they suffered a solitary goal defeat at the hands of visitors TC Sports Club of Maldives in the AFC Cup preliminary play-off match yesterday at the Bangabandhu National Stadium.

Vlasichev Anatoli scored the all important goal for TC Sports at the midway of first half to give the team an 1-0 win advantage of at away ground.

It would be a splendid evening for the home team, in respect of the real picture of the match if the attempts from Abdullah, Kingsley (twice) and Andres Diener’s were not denied by the cross piece.

But the home team was very unlucky failing to convert any of the good chances which came to their ways and the visitors were more than lucky to win the match after utilising the only chance they produced in the whole 90 minutes time.

The highlight of the scrappy first half of the match was Vlasichev Anatoli stunned the hosts with a right footer from inside the box when the forward edged past a defender to shot past the goalkeeper Ashraful Rana to send TC Sports lead on 23rd minute.

It was just an ordinary move with left side and the defenders are fully responsible for conceding the goal, as before to take shot none of three defenders were closely looked watching but to charge Anatoli, who comfortably powered his without any interruption and though the keeper was on the line could not stop the ball (1-0).

It was expected that Saif will bounce back with some disciplined and organised game but could not turn into with their usual form, though had a golden opportunity to have equaliser right in the next minute of conceding goal.