APL

De Spinghar Bazan is the first team to qualify for the semi-finals of the Roshan Afghan Premier League after winning 1-0 over the team from Kabul, Shaheen Asmayee, Tuesday afternoon.

Kabul’s loss is all the more raw because the single point to De Spinghar Bazan was an own goal, kicked by Shaheen Asmayee player Mujtaba Faiz.

The first 45 minutes of the match in the AFF stadium of Kabul were slow as both teams were cautious not to give the other any leeway, probably due to the sensitive nature of the match.

Shaheen Asmayee, which had lost in the first round to Maiwand Atalan (1-3), was desperate to score in order to retain a chance for the semi-finals. De Spinghar Bazan, on the other hand, was seeking a second victory which would secure them a place in the semi-finals at an early stage.

Shaheen Asmayee scored in the 34  minute but the referee disallowed the goal as he had already stopped the game and decided it was an off-side.

As both sides headed off the field at half-time, more than 3600 spectators hadn’t seen much action.

The second half began with the teams still playing a guarded game, weighing each other up carefully. This changed only after Shaheen Asmayee’s Faiz put the ball in Kabul’s own goal at the 55-minute mark, giving De Spinghar Bazan the lead.

With no other option but to score, Shaheen Asmayee took control of the ball and led a fierce offense from then on. The team from Kabul had multiple chances in the last 30 minutes but missed them all.

De Spinghar Bazan, keen to keep its advantage the rest of the match, defended the score until the end.

After the match Spinghar’s happy coach, Izzetullah Qati, said they should be thankful to their goal keeper for qualifying for the semi-finals.

With this 1:0 victory over Shaheen Asmayee and with 6 points in the Group A, De Spinghar Bazan automatically entered the semi-finals, the first team to do so.

Shaheen Asmayee’s chances of a semi-final match now depend primarily on the result between De Maiwand Atalan and De Abasin Sape. A victory for Atalan or a draw will end the dreams of the Kabulis to play again in this year’s Premier League.