Dhaka, March 27 (bdnews24.com) – Mohammedan SC were ahead 1-0 against arch-rival Dhaka Abahani at half time in the Citycell Super Cup showdown, which brought the highest turnout in six years to Bangabandhu National Stadium as the two old foes locked horns on Friday.
Nigerian striker John Goodwin scored for the Black and Whites in the 21st minute.
The national stadium was packed to capacity, with several thousand football lovers still hoping to get in, as the match kicked off at 5pm.
Tickets for the much-anticipated final were selling at five times the price on the day as the Super Cup had set the country abuzz with its record Tk one crore prize money, sending football-lovers scrambling for tickets to the final showdown.
Seventy year-old Abdur Rahim Miah, who brought his two sons to the match, had to pay the black market price of Tk 150 for a Tk 30 ticket.
"But we are happy to be here," he told bdnews24.com.
"We hope that we will be able to see the past glory of our country's football return through the Super Cup final," said tournament committee chairman Harun-ur Rashid on the eve of the final.
Almost a third of tickets were sold in advance of the day, with officials trying to increase seating at the stadium on the eve of the final.
"It may be the first time that the tickets are being sold in advance," said BFF vice-president Sawkat Ali Khan Jahangir.
Some 400 seats were reserved for women spectators while the eastern galleries were open for school-going students, who were able to enter the stadium wearing uniform or showing identity cards.
A pick-up van will be given away to a winning spectator through a lottery while the best player and the best goalkeeper will also be awarded a car and Tk one lakh respectively.
Nearly 40,000 fans turned up at the big bowl to see the SAFF Championship between hosts Bangladesh and the Maldives in January 2003 where Bangladesh clinched their maiden SAFF Championship title beating the opponents 5-3 in the shootout following a 1-1 draw in regulation time.
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