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Viceroy
Cup 2001
Nejmeh achieved the Viceroy Cup
2001 title
after defeating Tadamoun Sour [9-7] on Shoot-outs
November
14, 2001 |
Nejmeh team achieved their 3rd.
Viceroy Cup title after defeating Tadamoun Sour [9-7] on Shootouts,
the match time ended [4-4],
in the match that took place on Wednesday November 14, 2001 8:30
p.m., at Beirut Sports City Stadium.
Wednesday night witnessed the best Football match in Lebanon in
many years. The Beirut Sports City stadium gathered around 20,000
Fans who came to witness the Top players in Lebanon face each
other, and it was indeed.
Both teams showed excellent performance, unlimited stamina, and
great dedication. The consequence of 3 hour legend turned its
smiling face to one side on 2 shootouts. Tadamoun missed, Nejmeh
scored, as simple as that..
In the match details, both sides prepared well, and participated
with their best available squads that appeared in the semi-finals
matches against Al-Ansar & Safa. |
Viceroy Cup 2001 Winner
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The match started slowly in the first 10 minutes with both teams
testing each side defenses. The first goal of the match came on
the 9th. minute with a long shot from Terro Kehian that put Nejmeh
in the lead. This was the start of the goal festival. Later on,
Tadamoun tried to equalize but were faced by a strong Nejmeh
defense line that blocked all attempts and neutralized the effects
of Ibrahim Manasri, and Haitham Zein who was participating with
previous injury from the last match against Al-Ansar. Nejmeh
continued their attractive performance and scored a second goal on
the 28th. minute when Ali Hoteit failed to catch the ball from
Mohammad Halaweh header, then it bounced to find Riad Kobeissi
implanting it into the net. Tadamoun Sour woke up from the shock,
and substituted the injured Haitham Zein with Ali Hawwila, and
started all over again. The first light of hope came on the last
seconds of the first half when a corner kick ball made a trouble
inside Nejmeh area, it finally reached Imad El-Miri who put it
inside the target, Tadamoun reduced the score to
[1-2].
The second half started very fast for Tadamoun, as Ali Hawwila hit
a wonderful header on the 49th. minute to equalize the score to
his team [2-2]. The match returned to the beginning, and it kept
between both sides, but Nejmeh went ahead again on the 55th.
minute by Terro Kehian who scored the 3rd. goal for his team with
a wonderful shot inside Tadamoun target benefiting from Riad
Kobeissi cross from the left wing side. Tadamoun players didn't
surrender, and equalized on the 63rd. minute with a fast counter
attack, and a long range shot by Faisal Antar that bounced on the
ground and tricked Abdo Tafeh goal keeper of Nejmeh in a similar
way to Terro Kehian opening goal. The match became even, and both
teams turned to slow down to avoid the last minutes troubles, and
the original time ended [3-3]. |
Bilal Hajo shot near the right post,
what a miss !
Final Shot by Hussein Daher,
the winner for Nejmeh.. |
The extra quarters started, and Tadamoun were able to advance for
the first time in the match by Nasrat El-Jamal on the 96th. minute
with a strong shot from outside the penalty area that tricked the
unstable Abdo Tafeh and went inside the target. The match was
turning to Tadamoun side, and they missed opportunities of extreme
danger especially Nasrat El-Jamal shot that was converted by Abdo
Tafeh into a corner kick, but the match didn't end yet, and indeed
on the 103rd. minute of the match Ali Hoteit failed to hold the
ball from Terro Kehian shot, and for his & Tadamoun Sour bad luck
Abbas Atoui of Nejmeh was there to deliver it from a narrow angle
inside the target. The draw prevailed once again, and none was
able to avoid his team the lethal shootouts necessary to declare
the winner.
In the shootouts, Nejmeh started, and scored with Jamal El-Hajj,
Abbas Shahrour, Mohammad Halaweh, & Abbas Atoui. Tadamoun also
scored with Korken Inkebarian, Ali Mteirek, & Faisal Antar.
Then fate intervened, as Bilal Hajo shot for Tadamoun went just to
the right post outside the target, Tadamoun missed, and now it was
the turn of Hussein Daher who scored the winning shot for his
team. Nejmeh won the match, and clinched the title for the 3rd.
time after 1996, & 1998, and thus will keep the Cup in their
possession for good.
The match ended with mixed feelings of joy & disappointment,
Tadamoun Sour players received the 2nd. place Cup, and the silver
medals, and Nejmeh players received the Viceroy Cup for the Elite
2001, the golden medals, and a check for the money prize $33,000.
This is the case of Football, at the end, there can be only one
winner. Meanwhile, after this match, the real winner was the
Football game in Lebanon that restored its strength, and glamour.
Thousands of fans in the stadium, and more on the TVs lived more
than 3 hours of pure Football excitement, a thing we Haven't seen
in years.
We hope that all the Lebanese clubs work on their Football teams
to provide excellent performance as Nejmeh & Tadamoun did in the
final, and contribute in raising the Football levels in Lebanon.
Nejmeh squad: A. Tafeh, Z. Saad [M.
Karneeb 53'], S. Oko, H. Daher, A. Shahrour, R. Kobeissi [J.
El-Hajj 86'], M. Halaweh, M. Ibrahim, A. Atoui, S. Abajian [B.
Fleifel 53'], T. Kehian.
Tadamoun Sour squad: A. Hoteit [A. Khalifa 117'], I.
El-Miri, K. Inkebarian, A. Mteirek, Y. Hijazi, F. Antar, N.
Baalbaki [Y. Baalbaki 59'], N. El-Jamal, B. Hajo, H. Zein [A.
Hawwila 41'], I. Manasri.
Referees: [All from Kuwait]
A. Mandani [Main]
H. Ghadanfar
F. Abed Elrahim
K. Hamzah
Bookings:
Z. Saad YC 24'
M. Halaweh YC 45'
I. Elmiri YC 87'
B. Hajo YC 90'
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