Kings, Police notch crucial wins to stay in knockout raceto

Bashundhara Kings and Bangladesh Police kept their hopes of reaching the Federation Cup knockout stage alive after securing crucial wins at separate venues on Tuesday.

Defending champions Kings thrashed Arambagh 5-0 at Shaheed Dhirendranath Datta Stadium in Cumilla, while Police staged a comeback to beat Fortis 2-1 at the Bashundhara Kings Arena.

The results saw Police climb to the top of the five-team Group B with six points from three matches, one point ahead of Kings, Mohammedan and Fortis, with the former two having a game in hand.

The race for the knockout stage remains wide open, with Bangladesh Police, Kings and Mohammedan all in contention. Police need only a draw against Kings in their final match, while Kings must secure a win -- especially if Mohammedan defeat winless Arambagh.

At the Kings Arena, Fortis had the opportunity to seal qualification but suffered late heartbreak. Nigerian forward Onyekachi Okafor put Fortis ahead in the 37th minute with a spectacular bicycle kick. However, Police responded strongly after the break.

Ugandan striker Shafiq Kagimu equalised in the 66th minute with a clever backheel before teenager Rabby Hossain Rahul sealed the win three minutes later with a fine strike, combining with Brazilian Paulo Santos De Azevedo.

In Cumilla, Kings dominated throughout against Arambagh. Brazilian forward Dorielton opened the scoring with a header in the 16th minute before Faisal Hossain Fahim doubled the lead.

After the break, Emmanuel Sunday made it 3-0 before Dorielton grabbed his second. Sohel Rana Jr completed the rout in the 67th minute, handing Kings their first win in three matches and keeping their knockout hopes firmly alive.