United News of Bangladesh

Dhaka Mohammedan SC came close to their first- ever title of Bashundhara Group Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Football outplaying relegated side Chittagong Abahani Limited by 4-1 goals at the Shaheed Dhirendranath Datta Stadium in Cumilla Friday afternoon.  With day's feat, the traditional black and white Mohammedan SC comfortably dominated the league securing 38 points from 15 matches and needed just a win in three remaining matches to clinch first ever professional league crown. The port city Chittagong Abahani Ltd already relegated from the premier league with just three points from 15 encounters. Six times champions Dhaka Abahani Ltd followed the leader distantly with 28 points from 14 matches and were almost out of the title race. In Cumilla, Nigerian forward  Emmanuel Sunday struck twice for Mohammedan in the 45th and 60th minutes, long serving Mali striker  Souleymane Diabate and Uzbekistan booter Muzzaffarov scored one each for Mohammedan in the 29th and 46th minutes respectively. Redwan Hussain Sumon netted the consolation goal for the port city team in the 74th minute. In the day's other match,  five times champions Bashundhara Kings suffered another defeat in the league losing to mediocre Bangladesh Police FC at their home ground of Bashundhara Kings Arena Friday afternoon. Local forward Dipok Roy scored the match winner for Police FC in the 60th minute with the frustration of home crowd. The Kings, which were earlier out of the title race, now remained at the 3rd slot with 25 points from 15 matches. In the day's other match, Brothers Union Club beat Youngmen's Club Fakirerpool also by 4-1 goals at the Shaheed Barkat Stadium in Gazipur Friday afternoon. Brothers Union Club and Police FC collected 23 points each from 15 matches to share the 4th and 5th place respectively.

Defending champions Bangladesh smartly reached the final of the six-nation South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Men's U-19 Championship with unbeaten run eliminating Nepal by 2-1 goal in the first semifinal at the Golden Jubilee Stadium, Yupia, in the Indian State of Arunachal Pradesh Friday afternoon Bangladesh will play final on Sunday (May 18)  against the winners of hosts India and the Maldives, who will face each other in the 2nd semifinal Friday (May 16) evening at the same venue. Bangladesh failed to  display their usual shot in the barren first half and  all the three goals were scored in the  in the competitive 2nd half . Nazmul Huda Faysal scored one goal and assisted  in the day's another goal.  Bhutan Women’s League: Paro FC Women’s earn a record breaking 28-0 goals victory against Samtse Women’s FC Ashiqur Rahman scored first for Bangladesh in the 74th minute by a brilliant header from handshake distance, utilizing  a corner kick off captain  Nazmul Huda Faysal  (1-0)   Nazmul Huda Faysal doubled the Bangladesh margin in the 81st minute by a cool shot from danger zone , utilizing a readymade pass from Manik (2-0)  In the last few minutes, Nepal regained their rhythm  and made some good attempts  towards Bangladesh and took its fruit in the 87th minute when their Sujan Dongal found the net by a cool shot from top of the small box (2-1).  SAFF U-19 Champs: Holders Bangladesh to play Nepal in first semifinal on Friday Earlier, Bangladesh emerged Group A champions to reach semifinal as an unbeaten team securing four points from two group matches beating Bhutan by 3-0 goals after making 2-2 draw with the Maldives in the opener.

Goodison Park, the long-time home of Premier League team Everton, has staged more top-tier games than any other stadium in England. It was where Pele was kicked to pieces before losing a World Cup match with Brazil for the only time. It was where eight English league titles were won, and where several nerve-shredding escapes from relegation in the Premier League were completed. Everton will leave Goodison at the end of this season to move to a new 53,000-seat stadium at nearby Bramley-Moore Dock. Sunday's visit of Southampton marks the final game in the team's home of 133 years and the occasion will be marked by what Everton is calling an “End of an Era” ceremony afterward. The stadium will continue to operate instead in the women's game, as the new home of Everton Women. Here is Goodison’s story so far: Goodison wasn't always Everton's home Goodison Park has been the home to eight of Everton's nine title-winning campaigns. The first came somewhere you might not expect. Back on the pitch: PSL resumes after conflict-forced suspension Everton became a professional club and played its first Football League fixture at Anfield — now the storied home of neighbor Liverpool — from 1884-92. The club's first league title was won there in 1891, with Everton matches watched by crowds of up to 20,000. But a dispute with Everton's then-chairman, who owned the land, pushed club officials to buy a field just across Stanley Park and build a new stadium — Goodison Park. It opened in 1892, staged an FA Cup final two years later and, in 1924, hosted an exhibition baseball game between the Chicago White Sox and New York Giants on their world tour.   The architect Goodison Park is a celebrated example by the greatest architect of soccer’s early years, Archibald Leitch. The Scottish architect who designed dozens of soccer and rugby venues in the early 20th century started work at Everton with the Goodison Road stand in 1909. The huge construction was popularly compared to an ocean liner called the Mauretania. The main Bullens Road stand is now 99 years old and still has the signature Leitch feature, crossed trusses on the upper-tier balcony. What Leitch didn't build was another unique feature of Goodison Park — St. Luke’s Church in one corner of the ground next to the Gwladys Street end that's home to Everton’s noisiest fans. Pele's World Cup troubles at Goodison Pelé played in 14 games at four different World Cups from 1958 to 1970 and lost only one: at Goodison. Brazil was based at Goodison for its group-stage games in 1966 and the two-time defending champion’s superstar was targeted for rough treatment. Pelé scored in an opening 2-0 win over Bulgaria but was too injured to then face Hungary, which won 3-1. Pelé came back for a decisive game against Eusebio’s Portugal and again was repeatedly fouled. Portugal won 3-1 and Brazil exited with the sad sight of Pelé limping around the Goodison field. Goodison hosted an epic quarterfinal — North Korea took an early three-goal lead before Eusebio scored four and Portugal won 5-3 — then a semifinal that controversially didn't involve England. FIFA, led by its English president Stanley Rous, switched the England-Portugal game to Wembley and Goodison instead hosted West Germany beating the Soviet Union. Fans in Liverpool were not impressed, calling it an “England fix." Goodison was “the best stadium in my playing life,” Eusebio said in 2009 on a return visit.   Goodison's greatest games For many Everton fans, nothing quite tops the atmosphere that was generated in the stadium — often fondly referred to as the “Grand Old Lady” — when their team beat Bayern Munich and Lothar Matthäus 3-1 in the second leg of the European Cup-Winners' Cup semifinals. The old stadium rocked with relief as much as joy when Everton came from two goals down to beat Wimbledon 3-2 on the final day of the 1993-94 season to stay in the Premier League, and again four years later after a final-round 1-1 draw with Coventry to stay up on goal difference. A 16-year-old Wayne Rooney announced himself to the world when coming off the bench to score with a last-minute, long-range curler in off the bar to end Arsenal’s 30-game unbeaten league run in October 2002. And there was the final men's Merseyside derby at Goodison in February. James Tarkowski smashed a shot into the roof of the net in the eighth minute of stoppage time to secure Everton a 2-2 draw with Liverpool.   What's next? Everton is moving to Bramley-Moore Dock on Liverpool's waterfront to start next season. The new stadium already staged test events, is slated to host a high-profile rugby league match between England and Australia on Nov. 1, and is a host venue for the men’s European Championship in 2028. The plan was for Goodison Park to be demolished but Everton's new owners — the Friedkin family from Texas — announced this week that the women's team, which plays in the top-flight Super League, will play there from next season, moving from its nearby current home in Walton Hall Park. Goodison's current capacity of nearly 40,000 will likely be reduced.   END/UNB/AP/MA

Pakistan’s premier Twenty20 cricket tournament resumes Saturday after a ceasefire between India and Pakistan was achieved. There will be a handful of foreign players returning for the remaining eight games. The Pakistan Super League was suspended on May 9 but last weekend Pakistan and India agreed to a ceasefire after talks to defuse their most serious military confrontation in decades. The Indian Premier League, also suspended due to the outbreak between the countries, will also resume this weekend. PSL organizers first proposed moving the tournament to Dubai but later decided to postpone it after foreign players were reluctant to participate in the tournament due to security concerns. Around 43 foreign cricketers — competing on six PSL teams — were flown out of Pakistan from an airbase in Rawalpindi. Rawalpindi will host the remaining four league matches between May 17-19 before Lahore hosts the playoffs from May 21, including the final at Gaddafi Stadium on May 25. Zimbabwean all-rounder Sikander Raza is among some of foreign players who have returned to Pakistan. Raza, who plays for Lahore Qalandars, is available for Lahore’s crucial last league game against Peshawar Zalmi on Sunday before he flies to England for test duty starting next week. Raza will not be available for Lahore if the two-time champions qualify for the playoffs due to his test commitments. Nahid, Rishad opt out of PSL return, confirms BCB He said that if the PSL resumed, he planned to return to Pakistan, even for just one match. “I was very clear in my head that I was always going to go back,” Raza told The Associated Press as he trained with his teammates at Islamabad Club ground on Thursday. “This PSL is not just about winning a trophy, there’s a lot more to it. All the overseas (players) that have come back, whether they’re in Pakistan or India, I think credit must be given to them because cricket unites and the whole purpose of sports all around the world is to unite cultures, countries.” Lahore will also have Sri Lanka batter Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan for its must-win last league game against the Babar Azam-led Peshawar side after Tom Curran and Daryl Mitchel were ruled out due to injuries. Raza said it was tough for the families of all the players living abroad after there was escalation at the borders. “Whether it’s Pakistan or India, what happened was tough for everybody,” Raza said. “Sometimes when you’re on the ground, things may not be as bad, but (for) people back home watching TV, sometimes it’s very hard to control what media tells you.” Lahore team director Sameen Rana said it was important that the PSL returns to finish the season. “There’s a lot of uncertainty and the conditions which were happening on the ground was not the best, it's unfortunate,” Rana said. “But from our perspective . . . the important thing is that the PSL is resuming, and that’s what matters.” Defending champions Islamabad United has brought in Alex Hales of England and Rassie van Dussen of South Africa after initially picking both of them in the supplementary draft while Ben Dwarshuis of Australia is flying back to rejoin the team. Islamabad, the three-time PSL champions, won five games in a row at the start of the season before four successive defeats. IPL uncertain for Fizz due to NOC issues, overlapped matches Finn Allen of New Zealand and Rilee Rossouw of South Africa are rejoining first-place Quetta Gladiators, who have 13 points, three points ahead of Karachi and Islamabad. Karachi is expecting to have its captain David Warner back from Australia in time to lead the team against Peshawar on Saturday.

This was Lamine Yamal's season. So it just had to be the teenage phenom who scored the decisive goal to clinch Barcelona's 28th Spanish league title. And what a goal it was for the player who still wears dental braces and sports a new dyed-blond hairdo. The 17-year-old struck the winner in Barcelona's 2-0 victory at crosstown rival Espanyol on Thursday when he slid past two defenders outside the area and whipped one his now trademark left-footed curlers into the corner of the net. It was a perfect culmination to Yamal's last 10 months. After helping Spain win the European Championship last summer, Yamal excelled for Barcelona this campaign with his goals, dribbling and playmaking as he confirmed his status as the next big star of global soccer. Along with Raphinha, Pedri and company, and Barcelona was unstoppable. “I always try my best and today I was lucky it went in,” Yamal said. "I am very happy I could help the team and celebrate it.” SAFF U-19 Champs: Holders Bangladesh to play Nepal in first semifinal on Friday Fermín López ensured the win in stoppage time after Espanyol was reduced to 10 men in the 80th when Leandro Cabrera received a direct red for hitting Yamal in the stomach while disputing a ball. Barcelona won the title with two rounds remaining. It completed a domestic double with the Copa del Rey title — treble if you add the Spanish Super Cup — and reached the Champions League semifinals in a fantastic first season for coach Hansi Flick. Flick’s team virtually ended Madrid’s title defense when it beat its top rival 4-3 on Sunday, making it four of four clasico victories across all competitions this season. Madrid's victory over Mallorca on Wednesday prevented Barcelona from winning the title without playing. But the Catalan club needed just two points from its final three games of the season. Barcelona’s players danced briefly on the field to celebrate while sprinklers doused them with water. “You don’t win a league every day and we have to enjoy this and give it the value it has,” said Barcelona midfielder Pedri after completing his 200th game for his club at age 22. Lionel Messi posted a message on Instagram sending his “Congratulations” for his old team. Real Madrid also congratulated its fierce rival on X, while thousands of Barcelona fans gathered to celebrate in downtown Barcelona. Flick leads the way Barcelona dominated the domestic competitions, winning 15 and drawing two of its league games in 2025. Toss in the cups, and the only tiny blemish was coming oh-so-close to reaching the Champions League final before it fell in gut-wrenching fashion at Inter Milan. Yamal credited his coach for inspiring a core of players who had won nothing last season under Xavi Hernández. “We are thankful for what Xavi have us, but it is true that coach (Flick) has given us a new life,” Yamal said. Looking back on his arrival in the summer, Flick said that he had instilled a “positive” attitude in his team and it had adapted well to his style of play that requires a high defensive line and all-in pressing. Real Madrid rallies to beat Mallorca 2-1 and delay Barcelona’s title celebrations “Barcelona has to win titles and three titles is really great,” Flick said. “I suffered a bit after the game in Milan, but after winning three titles I am very happy and the club is too.” Yamal decides the match Espanyol outplayed its wealthier rival in the first half. But Urko González shot wide on a counterattack early on and Javi Puado couldn’t beat Wojciech Szczesny in a one-on-one opportunity. But Yamal's great shot in the 53rd minute put Barcelona in control. Espanyol goalkeeper Joan García, who is linked to a move to a big club this summer, including Barcelona, dove but couldn’t reach the perfectly placed shot. On Yamal’s goal, Pedri said: “He scored two goals like that today in practice. We are fortunate to have him on our side.” Espanyol needed to a good result from the derby as it hopes to stay out of the relegation fight. Espanyol remained in 16th place and five points from the drop zone. Car incident outside stadium The game was briefly paused by the referee in the opening minutes when a car rammed into a crowd outside the RCDE Stadium, injuring several people. Authorities said it was an accident and not related to the game. Athletic qualifies for Champions League Fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao secured a Champions League spot after winning 2-0 at Getafe. Third-placed Atletico Madrid lost 2-0 at Osasuna, while Real Betis stumbled in its fight for a fifth-place finish and the last Champions League spot after drawing 2-2 Rayo Vallecano.

Four Bangladesh players-studded Paro FC Women’s made a flying start in the Bhutan Women’s National Football League with a record breaking 28-0 goals victory over Samtse Women’s Football Club at the Samtse Artificial turf in Bhutan on Thursday. Four Bangladeshi booters scored 25 goals out of total 28. Former Bangladesh captain Sabina Khatun scored nine goals to be adjudged player of the match, Monika Chakma made seven, Matsushima Sumaiya five and Ritu Porna Chakma four goals. SAFF U-19 Champs: Holders Bangladesh to play Nepal in first semifinal on Friday On last Tuesday, three Bangladesh players studded Royal Thiumpu College Women’s FC outplayed Gelephu City Women’s FC by 16-0 goals at the RTC Artificial turf. Ten Bangladeshi women’s booters now playing in the Bhutan Women’s National League for three different clubs.

Defending champions Bangladesh team will play Nepal in the first semifinal of the six-nation South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Men's Under-19 Championship on Friday (May 16) targeting a final berth after beating the Himalayan nation. The first semifinal match between Group A champions Bangladesh and Group B runners-up Nepal will kicks-off 4:30pm Bangladesh time at the Golden Jubilee Stadium, Yupia, in the Indian State of Arunachal Pradesh. Hosts and Group B champions India will encounter Group A runners up Maldives in the other semifinal, also on Friday at 8pm at the same venue. Bangladesh team made final training session at the NERIST ground in Nirjuli Thursday afternoon ahead of their clash with Nepal in the Friday’s semifinal In the day’s final practice session, the players and coaching staff are putting maximum effort in preparation, worked hard and united with strong determination to secure a place in the final. Bangladesh’s Head Coach Golam Rabbani Choton said, “We reached the semifinal after completing the group stage properly, we made good recovery both physically and mentally in the meantime, we also worked on strong and weak side of Nepal and we are fully ready for the semifinal.” Real Madrid rallies to beat Mallorca 2-1 and delay Barcelona’s title celebrations semifinal match will be competitive one. But, we will take to the field on Friday to win against Nepal” he added.Bangladesh emerged Group A champions securing four points from two group matches after beating Bhutan by 3-0 goals after making 2-2 draw with the Maldives in the opener. The Maldives managed a semifinal berth as Group A runners-up securing two points from two matches after playing 2-2 draw with both Bangladesh and Bhutan In Group B, hosts India topped the list with all win record securing full six points from straight two matches after crushing Sri Lanka by 8-0 goals and outplaying Nepal by 4-0 goals Nepal booked a seat for last four stage as Group B runners-up securing three points from two matches outplaying all losers Sri Lanka by 5-0 goals apart from their 0-4 goals losses against giant India. SAFF U-19 Champs: Holders Bangladesh emerge group champions to set up semi-final with Nepal Friday Earlier, Bangladesh team put in Group A of the regional youth soccer meet with Bhutan and the Maldives while hosts India was placed in Group B with Nepal and Sri Lanka.

Bangladesh cricketers Nahid Rana and Rishad Hossain have decided not to return to Pakistan for the remainder of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) confirmed on Thursday. Both players were part of the 2025 PSL season and returned home earlier this month after the league was suspended due to rising tensions between India and Pakistan.  Although the tournament is set to resume on May 17, the duo has opted out of making a return. Earlier, the BCB had been working with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Bangladesh High Commission to assess the situation, especially after a reported drone strike near Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium forced the postponement of two matches. The incident raised serious safety concerns among overseas players, including Rishad and Nahid. At the time, the board stated it was actively working to bring both players back “in a timely and secure manner.”

Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman’s participation in the remainder of the IPL 2025 season with Delhi Capitals is in doubt due to issues related to his NOC from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). Although Delhi Capitals announced Mustafizur as a replacement for Jake Fraser-McGurk, the BCB has confirmed that neither the player nor the IPL authorities have formally requested an NOC. Mustafiz is currently with the Bangladesh national team in the UAE for a two-match T20I series against the hosts on May 17 and 19. Following this, Bangladesh is scheduled to tour Pakistan for a five-match T20I series starting May 27, though the series is yet to be cleared officially by the Bangladesh authorities due to tensions between Pakistan and India. These commitments overlap with Delhi Capitals’ remaining league matches on May 18, 21, and 24, casting doubts over Mustafizur’s IPL participation. Mustafizur makes IPL comeback with record-breaking Delhi Capitals deal BCB sources suggested that the BCB might grant Mustafizur an NOC for two of the three remaining IPL league matches, balancing national duties with franchise commitments. However, the final decision will depend on discussions between the BCB, the player, and the IPL authorities.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has received government approval to proceed with the national team’s five-match T20I series in Pakistan, scheduled to commence later this month. Farque Ahmed, the president of the board, confirmed the development to the media.  This decision follows a period of uncertainty due to recent tensions between India and Pakistan, which had previously led to the postponement of both the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Pakistan Super League (PSL). According to BCB president, while the government has given the green light, the board is still awaiting the official letter to finalize the tour. Mustafizur’s INR 6 crore IPL deal not full payout, here's why He said the importance of ensuring the safety and comfort of players and coaching staff before making a definitive decision. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has proposed a revised itinerary, with the series set to begin on May 27 in Faisalabad and conclude on June 5 in Lahore. The adjustments were made to accommodate the resumption of the PSL, which is slated to restart on May 17. Despite the government’s approval, some Bangladeshi players have expressed reservations about traveling to Pakistan, citing security concerns. The BCB has said that it will not compel any player to participate and will engage in discussions with the squad to address their apprehensions. Shakib set to return with Lahore Qalandars in PSL