| New Radiant wins, Qassim left with dozens of complaints
14 September 2005
1st half pictures | 2nd half pictures
Male', MALDIVES - New Radiant beat Jordon's giant Al Hussein by 1-0 in AFC Cup quarterfinal first leg match here in Maldives. A match, where New Radiant created more than half a dozen of chances to score by were able to score in the last five minutes of the game.
Ahmed Thoriq became the hero of the match when a long distance gave the awaiting lead for the home team. Thoriq, who is currently studying in Malaysia, joined New Radiant's practice two days before the match will leave to Malaysia on Saturday.
After the match New Radiant coach Stoikov expressed his happiness:
"I am very happy about how my players performance. We still have a chance to go to the next round"
The coach who was almost in tears of happiness said that the team had so many chances and the score line should have been more.
"We got chances to lead maybe more than one goal. But it is a game so we have to believe those"
Answering a question asked by maldivesoccer about the captaincy, the coach said that in New Radiant's team they have a rotating scheme for the captaincy. Who ever plays good for the team can be the captain. It should not only be Boikov.
Qassim : We will score lots of goals in Jordan
Al Hussein started the game with a high tempo but gradually they decreased their play. The game that Al Hussein planned was to try to attack from the wings and then cross it to the middle. The defenders of Radiant were very well planned for this. The defence line was helped by Saeed (Anmatee) and Naasir who planned infront of the three main defenders, Sobah, Boikov and Jameel.
In the first half three players of New Radiant and one player of Jordan's Al Hussein were booked. The game was very physical at times but the Singapore referee maintained the discipline in the game.
In the first half, Anmattee worked very hard and got the ball from a defender infront of the goal area. But he was too slow to react and the shot had no power which went wide from the goal post.
In the dying minutes of the first half Fazeel (Oppo) got a golden opportunity. But the shot he made was saved brilliantly by the keeper. He was all alone in the goal area. He should have scored from that range.
In the beginning of the second half, again the Jordanian team played an attacking game and pressurizes the Radiant's defence line. Later on the game gradually changed and the Jordanian team got tired. The midfield of New Radiant started to control the game. Oppo got two golden opportunites which was saved by the keeper and one went wide.
The second half New Radiant controlled the ball and played mostly in the Al Hussein half. There were shots coming from all over the field and the keeper of Al Hussein was kept busy all the time in the second half.
Oppo got the best chance in the second half, where he was all alone. But the shot he made was too wide. He dribbled the ball too much that's why the angle to shoot the goal was too narrow.
In the dying minutes of the second half, Thoriq (TOM) got an opportunity in a very tight angle. He shot it very powerfully and the keeper had no chance. It braced the left goal post and went straight in to the goal.
The stadium erupt with supporters voice and the stadium was up with the chants "New Radiant Hope Hope! "
Later in the extra minutes in the second half, the Jordanian team got a golden opportunity but they fouled a player in the penalty area. The Jordanian officials were unhappy about the incident and the referee's decision. They threw water bottles to the ground showing the anger.
Dissappointed Osama Qassim also complained about the goal scored by Thoriq.
"Before he got the ball, there was a foul and the referee should have awarded a free kick. I can't believe the refereeing in the game. It should have been 0 -0. "He said complaining about the refereeing.
He also complained about the Maldives weather. He said that it is too hot for the players to play a good game.
"We have a good pitch and the weather is not as bad as this. So I am sure we will win comfortably in the next leg" He said. But before the match Qassim expressed his feeling about Maldives weather, saying that Maldives weather is sams as Jordons.
Extending his hopes for the next match he said that he believe that Jordanian team will score a lot of goals against new radiant and they should win the next leg in Jordan.
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