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Football - St Michel win President’s Cup at Côte d’Or’s expense |27 February 2017

 

 

 

Double cup winners St Michel defeated league champions Côte d’Or 2-0 at Stad Linite on Saturday afternoon to lift the President’s Cup for the seventh time in a row and a record 15th time.

This season-opening match had attracted a good crowd which included Vice-President Vincent Meriton, Youth Sports and Culture Minister Idith Alexander who along with Seychelles Football Federation chairman Elvis Chetty greeted the two teams before the kick-off to launch the 2017 football season.

Despite the rivalry between these two teams intensified by coach Ralph Jean-Louis moving to Côte d’Or and 2016 coach of the year Ahmed Abdou, who had delivered his second league title to the Praslin outfit last season, joining St Michel in a managerial merry-go-round, there was a lot of mutual respect before the kick-off which started in a good atmosphere.

St Michel started brightly in this match as they threatened in the opening minute from Malagasy Jocelyn Fenosoa whose teasing cross was just pushed away by Côte d’Or goalkeeper Jean-Paul Lesperance and the onrushing Kenner Nourrice just lost his footing in his attempt to collect the loose ball as he would have had a clear chance to break the deadlock for the Anse Aux Pins-based team.

Five minutes later, Jocelyn again linked up with Andy Mougal who lofted a pinpoint cross onto the Malagasy striker’s head and his stooping header seemed to have crossed the goalline before it was scrambled away by goalkeeper Lesperance with a good low save. Assistant referee Gerald Pool did not indicate that the ball had crossed the goalline.

St Michel kept probing for a goal to settle their nerves against their bitter rivals and in the 10th minute, Leeroy Corallie exchanged passes with Mougal who set up Malagasy Hassan Aly who shot narrowly wide from the edge of the penalty area.

Côte d’Or’s first real chance came midway in this half as Dave Brioche played a neat one-two with Malagasy Jean Tigana and his left foot shot lacked sting to worry goalkeeper Alvin Michel who smothered easily.

The players of coach Roddy Victor, who had surprisingly been snubbed for the coach of the year award despite leading his side to three titles last season, then went close with two free kicks. Aly forced goalkeeper Lesperance to punch away in the 27th minute and eight minutes later, Jocelyn produced a curler which was heading for the top corner until a timely intervention from the Côte d’Or custodian.

Côte d’Or also had two decent opportunities to take the lead. In the 39th minute, Tigana went past three players but rifled his angled shot into the side-netting and two minutes later, Brioche latched onto a through ball as he slipped past Malagasy defender Nassure Beanjara but goalkeeper Michel was quick off his line to thwart the danger as the first half ended goalless.

 

St Michel turn the tide in their favour

 

St Michel turned the tide in their favour in the second period as they went ahead with a brilliant goal on the hour mark. It started with a wonderful defence-splitting pass from Malagasy Aly to compatriot Jocelyn who latched onto the long ball to outsprint 2016 footballer of the year Benoit Marie and Malagasy defender Jimmy Radafison before he coolly slotted the ball past goalkeeper Lesperance to make it 1-0 much to the delight of the St Michel supporters.

Côte d’Or reacted by making two substitutions, bringing on Gerard Basset and Ryan Antat for Steve Esther and Dine Suzette who was deprived of service to operate in attack and was therefore very ineffective.

The defending league champions’ captain Jones Joubert went on a marauding run forward in the 71st minute as space opened in front of him and his rasping shot brought a good flying save out of goalkeeper Michel.

In the 75th minute, St Michel doubled their advantage from a quick passing move involving Aly who released substitute Graham Cafrine who showed great speed to elude Marcus Rose and sent an inviting pass across the face of the Côte d’Or goal to Jocelyn who had sneaked in at the back post and he buried his shot into the roof of the net to make it 2-0.

Côte d’Or now had a mountain to climb and it was left to captain Joubert to try to get them back in the match and the chance arrived in the 86th minute as St Michel lost the ball in midfield and the former St Louis and The Lions left back galloped forward to flash a teasing cross but goalkeeper Michel did well to intercept the ball as two Côte d’Or players waited to finish it off.

In the end Côte d’Or had not done enough in this match and had been second best creating very little in attack while St Michel were deserved winners as acknowledged by their manager Andrew Jean-Louis to Sports NATION after the match.

“We did not play at a high velocity in the first period though we still created scoring opportunities but we had a better second half and we were worthy winners as our opponents did not trouble us in this match. It was good to kick off the new season on a winning note which we hope will serve as a springboard for the new season and my congratulations to my players for a victory in this cup which is our seventh consecutive triumph and our 15th President’s Cup title,” a proud St Michel manager told Sports NATION.

As for coach Ralph Jean-Louis, he felt his team need to bounce back from this defeat in their next match on Friday.

“We accept the result of this match where we conceded due to defensive lapses but overall it was a good match though we were lacking in certain areas and we hope we will reinforce our squad soon. Now we have to work hard again to prepare for our next match where we will try to improve our result,” Côte d’Or coach Jean-Louis explained to Sports NATION.

It was left to Vice-President Meriton and Minister Alexander, SFF chairman Chetty, youth and sports principal secretary Fabian Palmyre, special advisor for youth Kevin Vidot, special advisor for sports Jean Larue and SFF secretary general Jemmy Adela to present the medals and cups to the two sets of players and their entourage.

Sports NATION would like to congratulate St Michel on their cup triumph.

 

R. J-L.

 

 

 

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