Lodge Secondary of Georgetown will be looking to make it two wins in two championships this evening when they lock horns with Annai Secondary of Region 9 in a game that promises to be both electrifying and nail-biting.
A glimpse of the semifinal action between Annai and D.C. Fox Secondary (Waramdong)
This final showdown was set up after football fans were treated to a steamy double header on Friday evening, with Annai and Lodge Secondary pulling off respective victories over Desiree Caesar Fox Secondary, aka Waramadong, and Shiva Boys Hindu College of Trinidad and Tobago in the semifinal of the KFC Goodwill tournament.
Newcomers Lodge will have another tedious task on their hands as they prepared to confront Annai Secondary, who are playing in the competition for the second time.
Lodge’s confidence is at an all-time high, after winning the Guyoil/Tradewind Tankers Under-18 School League earlier this month; but Annai are known for producing stellar performances, often rising to the occasion when they are ‘down’.
Judging by what was seen in the semifinals, this final showdown will be one to watch closely. The forward from both teams will have ‘their work cut out for them’ as they take on the real challenge: the goalkeepers.
In some of the best Under 18 displays seen recently, Annai’s Lester Smith and Lodge’s Rashad Roberts have performed well for the duration of the tournament, and have literally saved their teams in the semifinals.
Lodge Secondary ended Shiva Boys’ perfect winning streak in a gruelling encounter
The Sizzling Semis
There were battles to behold at the Ministry of Education Ground on Friday evening, as four of the best secondary school football teams around battled to get one step closer to the KFC Goodwill championship trophy and lucrative prize.
Desiree Caesar Foxx Secondary, Waramadong, and Annai Secondary locked horns in a battle of the interior region teams. Watched by a large and vibrant crowd, Vito Cambridge opened the scoring early in the 1st minute of play to give Annai an instant lead.
Annai Secondary
However, due to the nature of competition between the two teams, Waramadong’s determination to level the playing field saw fruit in the 9th, when Ovid Andrews found the back of the net.
With the scores level, the high-paced game continued in similar stride until the half, and even into the second.
Just when it seemed as though the battle would continue in extra time, Raul Sway loaded up a shot from 30 yards out, and it soared into the net for Annai’s second and winning goal.
Speaking with media operatives following their victory, Annai’s captain Amir Robertson explained how making it to the final made him feel.
“I promised my team I will do my best on the field and control the team so we could reach to finals, and indeed we reached the final. I was so surprised. I never felt this before,” Robertson stated.
Lodge Secondary
The unthinkable occurred in the second fixture, as Lodge Secondary ousted defending champions Shiva Boys Hindu College after a fierce game.
Known for their quickness, Shiva Boys probably thought they had the win in the bag, but Lodge matched strides with their Trinidadian opponents, giving them the toughest fight yet in this tournament.
The defense for both sides was perfect, and while Shiva Boys had many more opportunities than Lodge, goalkeeper Rashad Roberts worked overtime to ensure that the score would remain untouched.
The stalemate score at the end of regulation time made way for an extra-time battle, wherein neither side could slot in the winning goal. As such, the fate of the game was left up to penalties, where the Lodge strikers were perfect and Shiva Boys threw away their chances to give Lodge a 3-0 victory after penalties.
An elated Rashad Roberts, sharing his thoughts on his team’s performance, expressed intention to take home the championship.
“Yeah, we played the perfect game. Although our players got tired, we still had to fight it out, cause the changes on the bench were okay but we didn’t need a changed team, not at this time. For a little while we didn’t train, but we still won the Guyoil and we reached the KFC final, and we will get this one here,” Roberts explained.
The KFC Goodwill final will be contested today at the same venue. Waramadong will take on Shiva Boys for third place at 17:00hrs, while Lodge goes head to head with Annai for the championship at 19:00hrs.
Aside from KFC being the title sponsor, the competition is fuelled by Guyana Coema Construction Company Ltd, the Trophy Stall, Mike’s Pharmacy and Tiger Rentals.
