Khulna hold nerve to reach Notun Kuri Sports Football quarters

 
Khulna held their nerve in a dramatic penalty shootout to defeat Dhaka 4-2 after a thrilling 2-2 draw, securing a place in the boys' quarter-finals of the Notun Kuri Sports football competition at the Bangladesh Army Stadium in Dhaka on Wednesday.

The match sprang into life in the 16th minute when Naeem Hasan fired Khulna into the lead. Dhaka, however, hit back swiftly as Junaid restored parity six minutes later.

Khulna regained the upper hand in the 30th minute through Shamim Hasan, but the lead lasted only two minutes. Miraj found the net in the 32nd minute to level the scores at 2-2 and set up a tense finale.

With neither side able to find the decisive breakthrough in the remaining time, the contest went to penalties. Khulna kept their composure from the spot, converting four of their kicks to book a deserved place in the last eight.

The second boys' fixture was an evenly contested affair, with Rangpur and Chattogram locked in a goalless stalemate throughout regulation time. The deadlock was finally broken in the tie-breaker, where Rangpur emerged 3-1 winners to join Khulna in the quarter-finals.

In the girls' competition, Khulna edged past Dhaka 1-0. Captain Sithi Biswas proved the difference-maker, striking the only goal of the match in the second half to steer her side into the next round.

Rangpur also enjoyed a successful outing in the girls' section, overcoming Chattogram 2-0 to complete an impressive day in the tournament.