By Kemoh Sesay
A community derby is set for this weekend in the Central One Football Association (COFA) non-division league final with Same Face FC taking on Malcolm FC on Sunday 22September at the Parade Grounds.
While both teams are from the central community, Malcolm FC have been impressive in youth football in the central area. They won the under-17 and under-12 categories in the Craig Bellamy Foundation (CBF) league last season.
The team have produced players who are now part of the CBF academy in Tombo. However, they have never won a COFA-organised competition and this is their first final in the league.
Same Face FC on the other hand are believed to be the fastest-improving team in the central community and they won the COFA under-14 championship in 2008 in addition to taking part in various competitions in the country. Also, it has produced players for a top premier league team in the country, FC Kallon and also for Delarosa FC in the Division One level.
A midfield maestro and skipper of Malcolm FC, Gibril Deen aka (Kay De) expressed optimism of winning their first ever trophy for the club, adding that they had proved to be unbeaten in all their matches throughout the entire competition, scoring 12 goals so far. “I hope to grab the championship and to be the first central team to win the non-division league so that I can be part of the history of the competition” he said.
An attacker of Same Face FC, Ralph Williams, who has scored 4 goals in the competition, said that he was looking forward to winning the trophy. He noted that they had proved to the entire central populace that they were a force to reckon with in youth football.
“We have the players that can create the difference in any match, despite the odds; we will win the championship” he promised.
Williams said that as the first club to win two COFA-organised competitions in the past, he was calling on their supporters to come out in their numbers to cheer them up to victory.
Speaking to Politico Sport ahead of the match, the organising secretary of COFA, Yapo Sillah said that all modalities including security were in place. He said the winner would be given Le 4 million while the runners-up would grab Le 2 million. He added that other categories for awards and prizes included best player, best goalkeeper, best defender, best midfielder and best coach
(C) Politico 19/08/13
