Ali Thameem
Road Recreation Club’s generational run continues as they defended the Club Maldives Cup trophy in tonight’s final match.
It was a sequel for the ages. The most dominant futsal club of the past five years, versus the most successful club in Maldivian futsal history. Defeating its newfound nemesis, STO Recreation Club, by three goals to one, RRC repeated the fate of last year’s final.
RRC took the lead three times and were equalized by STO twice over, in a final that saw sixteen fouls and four yellow cards.
RRC took the lead in the 18th minute via Ismail Muneez, assisted by Mohsen. STO were quick to respond, and equalized within 35 seconds, as Rahil Rasheed’s pass from the left cut through for Hussain Shareef to tap inside.
The score remained level until the ninth minute of the second half, when Shanaan Rashad fired in a diagonal lowball from Ahmed Aflaaz. Shanaan would go on to be crowned ‘King of the Tournament’.
STO fought back again, and equalized yet again. After a backheel flick from Hussain Shareef caught Adam Nasih’s arm inside the RRC penalty area, the referee decided to give STO a penalty kick with assistance from VAR. The STO veteran Ismail Easa was the one to finish it off.
With 23 seconds remaining in regulation time, it was Ismail Muneez who gave RRC the lead. Muneez fired it in following a brilliant build-up play involving the brilliance of Ahmed Aflaaz, who yet again provided the crucial assist.
This was RRC’s fifth final in the Club Maldives Cup. “This win is special to us, because we defended the title, and we now get the opportunity to make it three (in-a-row) next year”, says RRC coach, Ismail Shareef, in a post-match interview. Shareef says, despite the early exit from the king’s Cup, the team learned from their mistakes, and won it “with hands held together, by trusting one another”.
“What I wanted was this team to remain as a team… respecting each other like a family”, says Shareef. “We have been doing physical training for about three months, and work really hard on the strenght conditioning side”.
“It is a difficult task, to win something and then go on to defend it”, says Ibrahim Aswadh. “To have defended (the title), I am really, really happy. Al’hamdhulillah”.
