Madadeni Boys close down on Al Ahly’s undefeated season
The game was hugely anticipated in its build-up, with teams closest in contention to steal first place, Zenith and Madadeni Boys (formerly Real Santos) both winning the team's respective games.
A seven-game undefeated streak came to an end last night, when Al-Ahly suffered its first defeat at the hands of newcomers Madadeni Boys.
With the loss, Al-Ahly finds its lead at the top of the Newcastle Court Soccer Association (NCSA) Boston Premier League (BPL) A table closing, with both Madadeni and Zenith pushing hard to capitalise on the opportunity.
The game was hugely anticipated in its build-up, with teams closest in contention to steal first place, Zenith and Madadeni Boys (formerly Real Santos) both winning the team’s respective games.
Earlier in the evening, Zenith mustered a convincing four-two win over Lusitano. Although Zenith conceded two goals, the team put forth an effort which showed its players’ determination to win the league. However, the team’s defence found itself lacking in some areas; although keeper, Irfaan Khan put in an inspiring performance, he was unlucky not to keep his clean sheet.
The win undoubtedly placed pre-game pressure on Al-Ahly, especially since they were set to face one of the only teams in the league to challenge their dominance.
From the first whistle, pressure and possession were in balanced share between the teams. It was Madadeni Boys though, who seemed the more determined team as they pushed men into attack.
The atmosphere of the game was unbelievable with an ebb and flow much like a World Cup match. Any lover of the beautiful game would have appreciated the talent on display. Thrusting players forward, it was Madadeni Boys’ striker, Razak, who found the first hole in the Al-Ahly defence, a touch-and-go move allowing him to pocket beautifully into the bottom corner of the goal.
Conceding a goal is never good for a team riding on such a respectable winning run, and in the minutes following Al-Ahly dropped their heads and guards a bit too much, leading Razak to score once more. With ten minutes left on the clock, the score read 2-0.
The job of picking Al-Ahly up again fell to captain and manager, Faheem Paruk. Faheem subbed himself off the field and began issuing orders from the sideline to give his boys better purpose. It was around the same time Al-Ahly released their secret weapon, goalkeeper Joe.
Between the sticks, he is rated as one of the top three best goalkeepers in the league, but he also has a special talent as well – Joe is as skilled in attack as he is as a goalie. He makes little work of any defence, dribbling with a pace that sees him carving spaces straight to the goalmouth. Pushing forward, he was unlucky not to pot in a goal after he mishit the shot.
The determination of Joe was the catalyst for Al-Ahly to relight its fire, and soon the team managed to put Madadeni Boys on the back foot. It is especially amazing to see a goalkeeper moving into the penalty area of his opposite half; Joe linked with striker Muhammed Moola to pester the formidable Madadeni Boys goalkeeper in the stunning Yusuf Magwanda.
Yusuf is rated the best keeper in the league for the manner in which he controls the field through booming orders, tactics and advice. However, even he was helpless to stop Al-Ahly scoring their first goal. With two minutes left, Al-Ahly sent every player forward, while Madadeni Boys struggled to keep possession.
When Al-Ahly finally robbed possession, the final whistle blew. The score was 2-1, this securing Madadeni Boys as a dominant force in the league, and bringing Al Ahlys undefeated reign to an end.
