Football: Land Marine Cup final preview-St Michel and La Passe come head-to-head |05 November 2011

The first time the Anse Aux Pins-based team achieved the feat was in 2008 and they needed a replay against St Louis Suns to win the Land Marine Cup 2-0 to re-write the history books with back-to-back league and cup doubles.

La Passe will be travelling all the way from La Digue eager to stop St Michel in their stride and salvage their season in today’s attractive fixture.

“We want to lift the trophy,” La Passe’s Malagasy player/coach Bruno Saindina told Sports Nation in a telephone conversation yesterday.

Saindina added that he wants to bow out on a high today after playing for La Passe for 14 seasons, but admitted St Michel have the psychological edge over them.

In three meetings this year, St Michel have two wins – 3-1 in the league and 4-2 in the Airtel Cup final at Stad Linite – and a 2-2 draw in the league on La Digue.

“We want to win the Land Marine Cup and I want to go out with a bang,” said the 40-year-old, who will be concentrating on coaching next year.

Despite being winless against St Michel this year, La Passe will be no pushovers, containing quality players like Achille Henriette and Vincent Euphrasie (members of the Seychelles team who won the Indian Ocean Island Games gold medal), Geal Jessinghaus, Roderick Rose, Yelvanny Rose, and Malagasy Valerie

“It’s do or die and we have to deliver the goods and earn the result,” added Saindina, who is likely to come on as a substitute and whose left foot is capable of unleashing powerful shots on goal.

After taking over from Ralph Jean-Louis, who was appointed national team coach in January this year, Vivian Bothe has kept with St Michel’s winning philosophy, hoisting three pieces of silverware – the President’s Cup, Airtel Cup and Barclays league division one.

He said his team are raring to go today despite injuries to some key players.

“Henny (Dufresne), Don (Anacoura), Alex (Nibourette) are all carrying injuries, while Nelson (Laurence) has a personal commitment. Tomorrow morning (today), I will evaluate the degree of their injuries and decide if they can play a part in the final,” said former Sunshine and Seychelles international winger Bothe.

St Michel will also be without left wingback Allen Larue for accumulation of yellow cards, but coach Bothe says his team will be ready for a win and complete another clean sweep of titles.

“We have nothing to lose and we will start the match without any pressure on our shoulders. We expect a tough match and I have the players on my team who can give us a win,” he added.

The fact that many finals are dour affairs – with the two teams being more frightened of losing rather than confident of winning – the fans hope today’s encounter could offer them the most open final for many years.
Both teams are capable of scoring for fun and will want to give their fans something to cheer about before going for the Christmas break.

Although the chances of today’s game ending scoreless are almost none and the fact that cup matches are capable of throwing up shock results, if any of the two teams turn up with the right attitude and with their strikers having the goal-scoring boots on, the win could go either way.

But in the event of a draw after 90 minutes of action, there will be extra time of 30 minutes and, if needed, a penalty shootout to decide the winners.

G. G.