BPL mid-season roundup

This week marked the end of the first half of the Boston Premier League.

The season break will extend until July 20, but before we get ahead of ourselves, we need to take a look back at last week’s and this week’s Monday games.

Many of last week’s games were rescheduled and many teams received walkovers for not pitching, possibly due to the biting cold already in the night air.

However, one game that was played pitted Atletico against the team prized to take the title, Al-Ahly.

Atletico made a few mistakes in the opening minutes of the game, but Al-Ahly did not take advantage thereof.

Atletico picked its head after this, and tension increased.

Soon enough the game fell into dangerous territory as challenges came in harder, and excitement levels reached boiling point.

Al-Ahly winger, Peer van der Plank missed a poacher’s one-on-one chance, and at the opposite end of the field Atletico striker, Mohammed Omarjee cranked a first-time volley he caught wrong and pushed it wide.

However, he was quick to recover when Atletico was caught on the counter after an attack led by Sufiyaan Hathurani failed, and Al-Ahly centre back, Muzi pushed the ball forward.

Omarjee managed to make an impressive clearance and moments later the half-time whistle blew.

Any sports fundi would have realised at the halfway mark, the team that broke the deadlock would take the game.

In fact, tension was almost tangible, following two bad decisions and a supposed injury that a halt was called to the game, as fisticuffs threatened.

However, managers of both sides calmed their players, and the game restarted.

AL-Ahly’s Coolio played an excellent game, but was faulted by his tendency to go down easily during a challenge.

The game was set for a draw, but a handball spotted by the ref within the Al-Ahly penalty box, had Atletico rearing at the chance to take the lead with moments left on the clock.

Themba the Teaser, stepped up to the spot for Atletico, and crashed the ball forward, but a top-drawer save from in-form Al-Ahly goalkeeper, Bra Joe, kept his side in contention until the final whistle.

“Both sides played a good game. They played with heart and passion, and my boys played excellently even though we only took a point home,” said Al Ahly manager Faheem Paruk.

This is only the second time this season that Al-Ahly have dropped a point out of its 10 league games played so far.

Atletico manager, Shiraaq Rehman, was pleased with his side’s performancee.

“We played very well and the guys worked excellently as a unit. We need to work on being more clinical in attack,” he said, believing his side could have, and should have taken the lead and the game.

Although each team walked away with a point and the nil-nil result was inconclusive, the draw meant the top of table tightened up considerably, with Stucky Zenith just one point behind rivals, Al-Ahly, and both teams are now three and two points respectively behind league-leaders Madadeni Boys.

However, both the trailing sides have two games in hand over their opponents, and a higher goal-difference, following Monday’s games.

Mighty Midgets took on Sharks on Monday, with both teams securing a point apiece with a two-two scoreline, while Lusitano achieved a walkover over disbanded Pansula Boys.

Atletico once again caused upsets at the top of the table, this time as the team took on current league leaders, Madadeni Boys.

Once again, the first half remained goalless and tense, but in the opening minutes of the second half, Michael Kabule netted in a stunner to put Madadeni Boys in the lead.

Soon after the restart, Mohammed Paruk crashed in a cracker from the halfway line to bring Atletico level.

Madadeni Boys threw bodies forward once more, and were rewarded with a goal, but ‘The Teaser’ Themba, soon scored to equalise.

The heavyweight clashed again, sparring with jabbing attacks and dancing hooks, but neither could score the decisive goal, until the final minute.

In the dying moments of the game Atletico’s Omarjee, found himself goal bound, looked up knowing was running out, and put his weight behind the ball to crash in a final last minute goal, thus securing his side’s victory.

Mohammed Paruk was named Man of the Match for his efforts in holding the defensive line and contributing to his side’s tally of three goals.

Having played 12 games, Madadeni Boys lead the pack on 27 points, but are followed by Al-Ahly and Stucky Zenith who both have games in hand.

At the middle of the table, Atletico has taken steps to close the gap on Spartan, with the points difference between the squads sitting at just three points, while Atletico has a game in hand.

Hungry Lions have improved on a dismal start to the season, by progressing up the ladder, chasing down Lusitano and trying to overtake the disbanded Pansula Boys.

In the B League, Real Alenco is up four points on second-placed Ababeel and six points on third-placed Zamalek, but has played 13 games, three more than Ababeel and two more than Zamalek.

Juventus leads the middle of the pack, with 17 points from 10 games, while Majuba TVET has 11 points from the same amount of games. Tsotsi Seven follow in sixth with 10 points from 12 games, while Mighty Midgets take seventh ahead just ahead of Sharks with a game in hand.

The action restarts on July 20 with Ababeel taking on Zamalek for a firmer grip on supremacy at the top of the B League, while Might Midgets look to take something away from Majuba TVET to take the new squad into the middle of the B League.

The biggest match on opening night will be one to watch as Stucky Zenith will take on the in-form Atletico, in a local derby that could see Atletico repeat recent performances.