Dhaka derby

❧

Wikipedia

Dhaka derby
LocationDhaka
TeamsAbahani
Mohammedan
First meetingAbahani 2–0 Mohammedan
(1973)
First Division
Latest meetingAbahani 0–0 Mohammedan
(26 April 2025)
2024–25 Bangladesh Premier League
Next meeting—
StadiumsDhaka National Stadium (Both)
Gopalganj Old Stadium (Abahani)
Rafiq Uddin Bhuiyan Stadium (Mohammedan)
Statistics
Meetings total43 (from 2007)
Most winsAbahani (18)
All-time recordAbahani: 18
Draw: 13
Mohammedan: 12
Largest victoryMohammedan 4–0 Abahani
(16 July 2019)
2018–19 Bangladesh Premier League
Abahani 4–0 Mohammedan
(4 March 2020)
2019–20 Bangladesh Premier League
Largest goal scoringMohammedan 4–4 Abahani
(30 May 2022)
2022–23 Federation Cup

The Dhaka Derby is a football rivalry between the Dhaka teams of Abahani and Mohammedan; although the rivalry was bigger in the past, it is still considered to be the biggest game in Bangladesh's domestic football scene.[1][2][3][4]

Mohammedan was founded in 1936,[5] and Abahani in 1972. Bangladesh football's popularity grew based on these two Dhaka clubs. The two clubs have divided the country's fans into two camps in a fierce rivalry of more than 50 years.[6] The two clubs meet several times a year in competitions like the Federation Cup, Bangladesh Premier League, Independence Cup.

History

1970s–1990s

The two sides first met in 1973 in Dhaka First Division League. During that match, Abahani player Amalesh Sen scored the first goal in the history of Dhaka derby. Salahuddin scored the second goal for Abahani and the Abahani won that match by 2–0 and caused an upset over the mighty Black and Whites.[7]

In 1978, Bangladesh participated in Asian Games for the first time. Monwar Hossain Nannu, being the senior most player in the squad, was originally nominated as the captain for the Bangkok event. But, then the Federation changed their decision and goalkeeper Shahidur Rahman Shantoo from MSC was appointed the new captain. 7 Abahani players including Nannu withdrew from the team in protest. The much depleted Bangladesh team struggled in the tournament losing 1–0 to Malaysia and 3–0 to India. Following this incident, the federation generally tried to pick national team captain outside the big two Dhaka teams for the next few years. [8][9]

The 1980s was the golden era of club football in Dhaka. Any match involving Mohammedan or Abahani would draw huge crowd at the Dhaka stadium. The rivalry between the two rivals was at its peak in this era.[10] Before the match flags of Abahani and Mohamedan were observed in rooftops of Dhaka residents. [11]Abahani won a hat-trick of titles in 1983, 1984 & 1985 and Mohammedan made a record of winning an unbeaten hat-trick of titles in 1986, 1987 & 1988-89.[12] The rivalry reached its peak as fans always wanted their favorite team to win and they also contested in foreign tournaments and were the best sides.[13][14]

2000s–2010

Since the start of the Bangladesh Premier League in 2007, the rivalry has lost majority of its past fame.[15] [16]

Head-to-head

Statistics

Following statistics are from matches since 2007 B.League.

Competition Abahani wins Draws Mohammedan wins Abahani goals Mohammedan goals
League 141254024
Federation Cup 11186
Total 151364830

Matches

Following is the list of matches since 2007 B.League.

# Season Date Competition Stadium Home Team Result Away Team Report
1200716 March 2007Bangladesh Premier LeagueNational Stadium, DhakaMohammedan0–1Abahani
216 June 2007Kamalpur StadiumAbahani0–0Mohammedan
3 2008–09 1 September 2008 Federation Cup National Stadium, Dhaka Abahani 1–1 Mohammedan
424 November 2008Bangladesh Premier LeagueKamalpur StadiumAbahani2–2Mohammedan
524 January 2009National Stadium, DhakaMohammedan1–2Abahani
62009–1019 March 2010Bangladesh Premier LeagueNational Stadium, DhakaMohammedan0–0Abahani
72 June 2010Kamalpur StadiumAbahani1–2Mohammedan
82010–1113 March 2011Bangladesh Premier LeagueKamalpur StadiumAbahani1–0Mohammedan
924 June 2011National Stadium, DhakaMohammedan0–0Abahani
10201217 February 2012Bangladesh Premier LeagueNational Stadium, DhakaAbahani1–1Mohammedan
1122 May 2012National Stadium, DhakaMohammedan2–0Abahani
122012–1328 December 2012Bangladesh Premier LeagueNational Stadium, DhakaAbahani2–0Mohammedan
137 April 2013National Stadium, DhakaMohammedan1–1Abahani
142013–1419 January 2014Bangladesh Premier LeagueNational Stadium, DhakaMohammedan0–1Abahani
154 May 2014National Stadium, DhakaAbahani0–1Mohammedan
1630 June 2014National Stadium, DhakaMohammedan1–1Abahani
172014–1520 May 2015Bangladesh Premier LeagueNational Stadium, DhakaAbahani0–1Mohammedan
1816 August 2015National Stadium, DhakaMohammedan0–0Abahani
19201621 September 2016Bangladesh Premier LeagueNational Stadium, DhakaMohammedan0–3Abahani
206 December 2016Gopalganj StadiumAbahani2–1Mohammedan
212017–187 August 2017Bangladesh Premier LeagueNational Stadium, DhakaAbahani1–0Mohammedan
2222 November 2017National Stadium, DhakaMohammedan0–2Abahani
232018–1928 February 2019Bangladesh Premier LeagueNational Stadium, DhakaAbahani3–0Mohammedan
2416 July 2019National Stadium, DhakaMohammedan4–0Abahani
252019–204 March 2020Bangladesh Premier LeagueNational Stadium, DhakaAbahani4–0Mohammedan
2625 June 2020National Stadium, DhakaMohammedanN/A[a]Abahani
272020–214 March 2020Federation CupNational Stadium, DhakaAbahani3–0Mohammedan
2828 January 2021Bangladesh Premier LeagueComilla StadiumMohammedan2–2Abahani
2927 June 2021National Stadium, DhakaAbahani1–1Mohammedan
302021–2223 February 2022Bangladesh Premier LeagueSylhet District StadiumAbahani1–0Mohammedan
3122 June 2022Comilla StadiumMohammedan2–4Abahani
322022–2327 January 2023Bangladesh Premier LeagueComilla StadiumAbahani2–0Mohammedan
3326 May 2022Comilla StadiumMohammedan1–1Abahani
3430 May 2022Federation CupComilla StadiumMohammedan4–4[b]Abahani
352023–2413 February 2024Federation CupSheikh Fazlul Haque Mani StadiumAbahani1–2Mohammedan
3623 February 2024Bangladesh Premier LeagueComilla StadiumAbahani2–2Mohammedan
3729 May 2024Sheikh Fazlul Haque Mani StadiumAbahani1-Mohammedan
  1. ↑ League was suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic.
  2. ↑ Mohammedan won 4–2 on penalty shoot-out.

Statistics

All players in bold are still active in the derby.

All-time top goalscorers

Nation Player Club(s) League Years
Mali Souleymane Diabate Dhaka Mohammedan 11 2019–
Haiti Kervens Belfort Dhaka Abahani 4 2018–2021
Nigeria Emeka Christian Jbe Dhaka Abahani 3
Costa Rica Daniel Colindres Dhaka Abahani 3 2021–2023

Hat-tricks

PlayerForAgainstResultDate
Mali Souleymane DiabateDhaka MohammedanDhaka Abahani4–4 (H)[17]30 May 2023

Records

Friendly matches are not included in the following records unless otherwise noted.

Notable matches

  • Abahani 2–0 Mohammedan (1973)

This was the first ever Dhaka derby played in Dhaka First Division League. Amalesh Sen and Salahuddin scored the first and second goals for Abahani, defeating Mohammedan 2–0.

  • Abahani 1-1 Mohammedan (1982)

In 1982, the Dhaka Derby between Abahani and Mohammedan ended in a 1–1 draw, but it became one of the most infamous matches in our football history. Mohammedan scored first, and when Abahani equalized, the stadium erupted into chaos. Fans stormed the pitch, riots broke out, and even players were caught in the unrest. That day showed us not only the fierce rivalry between these two giants but also the passion, intensity, and sometimes danger that the Dhaka Derby carried in its golden era.

  • Mohammedan 4-3 Abahani (2000)

In a dramatic league clash, Mohammedan were trailing by two goals before Imtiaz Ahmed Nakib pulled off a stunning hat-trick to lead a remarkable comeback, sealing a 4–3 win. The game ended with Motiur Rahman Munna scoring in the dying moments, cementing its place as one of the most thrilling derbies ever. Nakib’s performance remains iconic in derby folklore.

  • Abahani 0–0 Mohammedan (16 June 2007)

This was the first ever derby match in the Bangladesh Premier League. The match took place in Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka on 16 June 2007, which ended in a 0–0 draw.

  • Mohammedan 1-0 Abahani (27 March 2009)

The final match of Bangladesh Super Cup first edition. After the BDR uprising in February 2008, security was tight for the final held in March. Yet there was no shortage of interest among the audience. For the final match, more spectators stayed outside the stadium than on the field. A 21st minute goal by Nigerian midfielder John Godwin gave Mohammedan the Citycell Super Cup title with a solitary goal victory.

  • Abahani 4-0 Mohammedan (4 March 2025)

In a mirror to the previous derby, Abahani answered back the following season with a commanding 4–0 win over Mohammedan.

  • Mohammedan 4–4 Abahani (30 May 2023)

This was the final of 2022–23 Federation Cup, it ended 3–3 in the normal time, Diabate scored hat-trick for Mohammedan while Fahim, Colindres and Ogbugh scored for Abahani respectively. In additional time, Diabate scored his 4th goal in the 105th minute to give Mohammedan the lead. Mia scored in 118th minute equalizer to take the match into penalty shoot-out, where Mohammedan won 4–2 after Augusto and Colindres failed to convert their spot-kicks after Emon failed to score his penalty for Mohammedan.

Players who played for both clubs

Player Abahani Mohammedan
Bangladesh Ashish Bhadra 1981-1984, 1985-1990 1984
Bangladesh Sheikh Mohammad Aslam 1984–1991, 1991–1992, 1994–1996 1983, 1993
Bangladesh Samrat Hossain Emily 1983-1985 1986-1992
Bangladesh Satyajit Das Rupu 1987-91 1995
Bangladesh Ariful Kabir Farhad 1995-1996, 2005-2006 2003-2004, 2007
Bangladesh Alfaz Ahmed 2010-2011 2005-2006,

Honours

Major honours (national)

This following table includes only those titles recognised and organised by the BFF and AFC.[18][19]

Competition Mohammedan Abahani
First Division/Premier Division League 19 11
Federation Cup 11 12
Super Cup 2 1
Bangladesh Premier Football League 1 6
Independence Cup 3 2
National Football League 2 1
Liberation Cup 0 1
DMFA Cup 3 1
BTC Club Cup 0 1
Ma-Moni Gold cup 1 0
Total 41 36

General information

Dhaka Abahani Mohammedan SC
First established name Abahani Krira Chakra Mohammedan Sporting Club Limited Dhaka
Founding year 1972 1936
Stadiums Bangabandhu National Stadium, Sylhet District Stadium, Rafiq Uddin Bhuiyan Stadium Bangabandhu National Stadium, Sheikh Fazlul Haque Mani Stadium
Capacity 36,000, 15,000, 15,000 36,000, 5,000
Number of seasons in Bangladesh Premier League 15 (never been relegated) 15 (never been relegated)

References

  1. ↑ "Dhaka Derby today". The Daily Observer. 20 May 2015. Archived from the original on 26 October 2016. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  2. ↑ Shishir Hoque (21 September 2016). "Season's first Dhaka Derby today". Dhaka Tribune. Archived from the original on 15 July 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  3. ↑ Towheed Feroze (3 June 2019). "Who remembers the Dhaka derby!". Bangla Tribune. Archived from the original on 12 August 2020. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  4. ↑ "New Charms in Dhaka Derby". The Daily Star. 4 March 2020. Archived from the original on 29 July 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  5. ↑ Alam, Masud (14 January 2020). ঐতিহ্যের পথে ঘুরে দাঁড়াক মোহামেডান. prothomalo.com (in Bengali). Prothom Alo. Archived from the original on 28 December 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
  6. ↑ "A glorious past that mocks the present". The Daily Star. 5 November 2016. Archived from the original on 29 July 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  7. ↑ Mahfuz Reza Chowdhury (7 August 2017). ফিরে দেখা মোহামেডান-আবাহনীর দ্বৈরথ -- ইউনিভার্সাল স্পোর্টস. Universal Sports (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 5 February 2018. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  8. ↑ "Asian Games 1978". Archived from the original on 9 November 2013. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  9. ↑ "The irreplaceable Nannu". 17 February 2008. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  10. ↑ "Looking back into Bangladesh football in the 80s". Weekly Blitz. 29 April 2019. Archived from the original on 29 October 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  11. ↑ "What happened to Dhaka Derby, the 'Bangladeshi El Classico'?". The Financial Express. Retrieved 11 June 2025.
  12. ↑ "How good were Mohammedan Sporting Club back in the 1980s?". The Business Standard. 20 February 2021. Archived from the original on 30 July 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  13. ↑ "Mohammedan Sporting Club: The fall that hurt the most". The Business Standard. 2 October 2019. Archived from the original on 30 July 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  14. ↑ "Bangladesh Football Then and now". The Daily Star. 6 July 2018. Archived from the original on 7 February 2022. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  15. ↑ "Abahani - Mohameddan derby ends in draw". New Age. 27 June 2021. Archived from the original on 29 July 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  16. ↑ "Abahani crushes Mohameddan 4-0 in titans battoe". Daily Sun. 4 March 2020. Archived from the original on 30 July 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  17. ↑ "Mohammedan SC - Abahani Limited Dhaka". Sofa Score. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  18. ↑ "Bangladesh - List of Cup Winners". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  19. ↑ "Dhaka League". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 15 December 2017. Retrieved 16 December 2021.