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]
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.
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