Chittagong Abahani moved into the semifinals of the Walton Federation Cup Football tournament, outplaying Sheikh Russel Krira Chakra by 4-2 in the tie-breaker, yesterday. The teams were locked 1-1 in the scheduled 90 minutes and 30 minutes of extra time. Held at the Bangabandhu National Stadium, Mehbub Hassan Nayan led Russel in the 10th minute, but Chittagong Abahani equalised three minutes later through Zahid Hassan. But in the rest of the stipulated 90 minutes and in the extra 30 minutes, none of the giants could score. Udoka Alison, Masuk Meah Jony, Sohel Rana and Towhidul Alam Sabuj converted the spot kicks for the Chittagong outfit. Russel's Dawda Ceesay and Biswanath Ghos could put the ball in, but Kawsar Rabbi and Uttam Barua's shots went outside.  
The high voltage match got off with good pace right from the kick-off, with attacks by both sides. Two goals were scored inside 13 minutes within a span of three minutes. Russel broke the deadlock early in the 10th minute and CTG Abahani levelled it three minutes later. A free kick off Meshu came to Mehbub Hassan Nayan’s way inside the danger area, after a header of Benjamin Elita, and the younger star shot past the CTG Abahani keeper Rasel (1-0).  
But the lead of Russel did not last long. Abahani's Zahid, the national team’s forward, snatched the ball from Russel keeper, Ziaur Rahman, who had casually gripped a long ball. Zahid perplexed the Russel defence line when he swiftly ran after the ball and snatched it before the keeper could get a proper hold, and sent the ball into open post (1-1). Russel again came close to scoring in the 24th minute. Elita Benjamin, a tall forward from Nigeria, jumped higher to power his header on a Kalekuzzaman’s corner from inside the box, but quick-witted Rasel superbly blocked the effort. The evenly contested first half ended 1-1. Chittagong Abahani opened the first chance in the second half, but Taowhidul Alam Sabuj, the forward, despite reaching the cross from Zahid, shot over the bar in the 67th minute.
Chittagong Abahani, who played better in the second half, was about to go ahead, but Zahid, who was the best player of the match, failed to beat the goalkeeper in a one-to-one situation, after edging past the markers to enter the box. The match headed towards 30 minutes of extra time. Chittagong Abhani's Afeez Oladipo wasted the day’s easiest chance. The Nigerian disappointingly shot the ball over the bar rather than push it into open net in front of him, after Zahid had released a superb right side cross in the fourth minute of the extra 30 minutes.