Fortis FC Beat Muras United 1-0 in AFC Challenge League Qualifier
Fortis FC made history on Tuesday afternoon, beating Kyrgyzstan’s Muras United 1–0 at the Bashundhara Kings Arena to reach the AFC Challenge League group stage. Bangladeshi winger Mohammad Ibrahim made the difference soon after halftime, scoring in the 52nd minute to send Fortis through in their first appearance on the Asian stage. **A Tough Match in the Heat** Playing in the intense heat, Fortis tried to take control from the start and created several chances in the first 30 minutes. Captain Pa Omar Babou hit the post after a strong run into the box, but Muras United still kept the score 0–0 at halftime. The deadlock was broken seven minutes into the second half when Pa Omar Babou picked up the ball near midfield, got past his defender, and played a perfect pass to Ibrahim. Ibrahim took one touch and calmly finished with a low left-footed shot under Muras' goalkeeper Orest Kostyk.  **Holding the Lead** Three minutes later, Fortis almost scored again when defender Ananta Tamang curled a shot from the edge of the box, but Kostyk made a diving save. Muras United had a chance to equalise in the 74th minute after a handball in the box gave them a penalty. Erbol Atabaev’s shot hit the post, and Fortis goalkeeper Sujan Perera kept the clean sheet. Fortis held on thanks to strong defending all over the field, with Nepali internationals Arik Bista and Ananta Tamang starting for coach Masud Parvez Kaiser. They helped the team stay solid under late pressure from Muras United. Fortis qualified for this continental match even though they finished third in last season's Bangladesh Premier League. When other top teams did not meet the AFC club licensing requirements, Fortis secured Bangladesh's spot by meeting all the criteria. Fortis will now wait for next week’s group stage draw to learn their opponents in the main tournament. Meanwhile, Bangladesh Police FC, who finished fourth last season, will play Syria’s Al-Ittihad Al-Ahli in their own qualifier in Jordan.
