Ruthless Zahira showed Royal no mercy in the Schools Football curtain raiser as a second half blitz saw them earn a 5-0 win at a muddy and damp Zahira College grounds.
Zahira College last year’s Champions of the tournament were on the back of another championship, winning the All Island U19 Schools Championship last week while Royal College with three junior national players were looking to make an upset.
“We are missing five of our main players including Azeem Azmy, Mohamed Humaid and Uzman Hameed. All U19 national players; but we have players who can replace them though with not experience,” Zahira coach Mohamed Roomy told ThePapare.com
“Ground conditions are not good but I have given instructions on how to play in these conditions and confident we can make a telling statement,” Ashoka Ravindra coach of Royal College added.
Incessant rain threatened to disrupt the opening match of the Kotmale Chox All Island U19 Football Championship but seized as Royal College kicked off in a positive manner. Royal were camped inside the Zahira half in the opening quarter of an hour but created only a few chances with the best coming when Zahira goalkeeper fumbled the ball but there were no yellow shirts to take advantage of.
As the match progressed Zahira got their composure back passing the ball around, spreading the Royal defense. They got a couple of corners, one of which was delivered to the far post but the Zahira player completely missed a free header. However it was the Royal midfielders and forwards who still had the upper hand with junior national Naveen Jout slipping past three defenders only to see his shot blocked out for a corner.
Out of nowhere Zahira bagged the first goal thanks to a horror mistake by Royal goalkeeper Mushtaq Ramzi, who let a powerful 25 yard low drive by Ahamed Shakeer slip under his hands in the 23rd minute. The goal completely changed the complexion of the game as Farood Faiz started to assert his authority in midfield.
Farood with his ability to kick with both feet was a magnet to the ball and creating plays for the hosts. He delivered a cross to the box which was misjudged by the Royal defense and the effort by Shafran Sathar was brilliantly saved from point blank range by Ramzi, compensating for his mistake earlier. Royal were lucky to go into halftime with only a goal down as Mohamed Thanzeel cleared a header off the line and Shakeer’s volley from a Faiz cross inside the box went over the bar.
Ramzi was again in the middle of preventing the second goal after halftime denying Shakeer but had showed his clumsiness fumbling another ball which the defense was able to clear. The heavens opened up minutes into the second half which seemed as if it would make play hard for both sides. However the Zahira flair shone amidst the heavy rain with Farood Faiz getting a well-deserved goal in the 69th minute.
Minutes later Shafan Sathar added the third from a cut-back as the Zahira forwards kept whipping the ball along the wet slippery ground making the ball skid and making life hard for Ramzi and his defenders. Then in the 75th minute Shaheel Azhar made it four nil scoring through another powerful low effort.
Faiz almost had his second but the crossbar denied his dipping 30 yard free-kick. Shakeer once again had his shot saved by Ramzi but was helpless as Azhar scored his brace in the 88th minute when Royal playing a high line of defense let him through one on one with the goalkeeper.
ThePapare.com Player of the Match: Farood Faiz
