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Aggressive Sudan ends Afghanistan’s run to win SPPU International Youth Festival football title
Two second-half strikes from Amro Abbas and Jovan helped Sudan win the final.
PUNE A thoroughly entertaining final at the International Youth Festival’s football tournament at the Savitribai Phule Pune University, saw Sudan earn a hard-fought victory over Afghanistan, in an intercontinental affair.
Two superb second-half strikes from Amro Abbas and Jovan helped Sudan win the final, for the very first time. Both sides managed to cancel each other out, before a cracking screamer from Abbas gave his side the lead in the second half.
Just a few minutes before the final whistle, Sudan sealed their victory after Jovan scored directly from a free-kick on the left flank.
Defences on top
As the game kicked-off, Sudan was the first to launch an attack. Sohaib Monir almost gave his side the lead a few minutes into the game with an acrobatic finish. Unfortunately, he did not make proper contact with the ball. A couple of minutes later, Sudan managed to enter the final third again as Monir received the ball inside the box again. The Sudanese winger scuffed his finish again and blasted the ball wide.
After a flurry of Sudan attacks, Afghanistan finally entered the other half of the pitch and won a corner. The ball was curled into the box and bounced off a Sudanese player as the Afghani players appealed for hand-ball. The referee paid no heed to the pleas and signalled the players to play on. The Sudanese, playing an attacking 4-3-3, were very quick on the counter, but the efforts were nullified by a very solid Afghani defence.
Sweltering strikes
As the second half commenced, the pattern was the same. Sudan was the more attacking side with Afghanistan sitting deep, trying to earn something on a counter-attack. As Sudan looked to enter the Afghan box again with a good-looking cross, Shahir was the first to get to it and cleared the ball away from danger yet again. Another glorious opportunity was gifted to Sudan when Mohamed Salah found himself in front of goal with the ball with just the keeper to beat, but the winger’s attempt was brilliantly palmed on to the post by the keeper and then cleared.
As spectators were expecting a penalty shoot-out, the deadlock was broken with an extra-ordinary strike from Amro Abbas. Abbas received the ball at the edge of the penalty area, from the left flank and unleashed a first-time shot which had the Afghan goalkeeper rooted to his spot as the ball nearly ripped the net after flying into the top-left corner.
After trailing for the first time in the tournament, the Afghani players were panicky on the attack. The passes in the final third were rushed or intercepted by the Sudan defence. Sudan lodged another attack after complacent passing from Afghanistan and ended up winning a free-kick on the left flank. The set-piece was from a tight angle as everyone expected a cross, but Sudan midfielder Jonathon pummeled the ball into the near-post after the keeper was completely wrong-footed just a few minutes before the full-time whistle.
After the match
“We were extremely good in the defence. I promised the boys a clean sheet before the game and thankfully we got one. It was not an easy game and that is why this victory makes me very happy. I used to play football every day when I was in school, but I had to give it up to come here and study. So, playing again in this tournament, has made me extremely happy.”
- Katim Touray, HT’s player of the match, Sudan
Sri Lankan girls beat Turkmenistan to claim women’s title
Earlier on Friday, in the 6-a-side women’s tournament, Sri Lanka edged Turkmenistan 3-2 in their final match of the tournament. The women’s tournament comprised five teams and was conducted on a smaller ground inside the SPPU campus.
In a thrilling, topsy-turvy encounter, Turkmenistan equalised twice before finally conceding the killer blow in the final minutes. Veronica Kalongi’s first-half strike propelled Sri Lanka into an early lead. However, Turkmenistan bounced back with a goal from Lieli.
Both sides were level at half-time as Sri Lanka retook the lead in the second half after Jowariya Houssein scored from close range. Parity was restored again as Turkmenistan made it 2-2 after a goal from Sarvinoz. As a penalty shoot-out was looming Ngandwe Bwalya was able to net the winning goal for Sri Lanka.