Football: Airtel Cup-St Michel and Red Star finish league phase unbeaten |23 May 2005
Unbeaten in eight matches – seven wins and a draw - St Michel will play La Passe in the semifinals and Friday May 20 the La Digue-based team played a 1-1 draw with group B winners Red Star who have remained unbeaten like their Anse Aux Pins neighbours.
St Louis needed a win to secure the last semifinal spot from group A, but after losing to St Michel, they were hoping that Anse Réunion lose to Survivors in the last pool A match rescheduled for yesterday afternoon on La Digue.
St Michel’s captain and goalkeeper Nelson Sopha guessed right to dive to his left to beat out Baldé’s rather soft 84th minute penalty kick.
Midfielder Marcel Labiche, who conceded the penalty after felling former teammate Philip Zialor inside the penalty area, kissed Sopha’s safe pair of hands after he had made the save.
Playing with 10 men after midfield workhorse Garry Robert had been sent off in the 71st minute for a second bookable offence, St Michel had themselves taken the lead from the penalty spot through Malagasy substitute Leonni Nastinan in the 63rd minute.
Four minutes after his inclusion, Nastinan powered down the left flank to cross to Don Anacoura, but St Louis’ Malagasy defender Ralid was first to the ball and he played it with his hand inside the danger zone.
Referee Gonzague Boniface awarded St Michel a penalty which Nastinan converted to bring his goals tally to six.
Last Friday, Wilnes Brutus rescued Red Star with a 68th minute strike from inside the La Passe penalty area to help Malagasy coach Mosa’s team finish the league phase with 20 points from six wins and two draws.
La Passe shot into the lead in the 16th minute through Tanzanian import Salum Kinje with a shot from outside the penalty area which beat Red Star’s keeper Andrew Valentin.
With Garry Radegonde hitting the woodwork, La Passe have left new Rwandan coach Nsonsa Kitala Ndiki with the task of plotting how to overcome St Michel in the semifinal Saturday May 28.
G. G.