Non-League and Academy football writer

In the opening Somali British Champions League fixture of the new 2025/26 season, and the seventh edition of the tournament, Hilltop faced OIR at Ark Academy on late Sunday afternoon, in a group-stage fixture. Hilltop and OIR have played each other on a number of occasions previously in this prestigious competition, and on Sunday this very competitive group A match would finish 2-2.

Hilltop would start the match the better of the two sides. They were moving the ball around the pitch well, with good buildup play from defence. Although it took a little while for the first real goalscoring chance to be created, it was Hilltop who took the lead relatively early on in this contest. A good Hilltop move started with Kvar McKenzie in central midfield. He would pass the ball across the floor to Hussein Mahdi, on the edge of the OIR penalty area, before playing a clever pass in behind the OIR defence, to the run of Kamaal Nur on the right-hand side of the box. Kamaal Nur would finish low into the goal one v one with the OIR goalkeeper, Abdiaziz Xasan, 1-0.

Soon after that opening goal of the game, following a loose pass Hussein Mahdi found himself one v one with the OIR goalkeeper inside of the penalty area, but Abdiaziz Xasan would save with his low effort on goal well, with his feet. Shortly afterwards, and following OIR forward Ahmed Ali’s low whipped effort from the edge of the Hilltop box, which went wide of their goal, Hilltop would double their advantage in this game. Hilltop’s second goal of the game came from the penalty spot, after the impressive Jibril Mahdi had been fouled inside of the OIR box. Luqman Cusmaan would finish clinically and calmly into the goal, from the resulting penalty, 2-0.

During the latter stages of the first half of this game and unfortunately OIR’s goalkeeper, Abdiaziz Xasan, had to be replaced. And then, just before half-time, Ayub Kadiri’s free-kick delivery from out on the right-hand side of the pitch, was headed narrowly wide of the Hilltop goal, at the back post by Simba Kudyiwa. That was a good chance for OIR.

Early on in the second half and it was Hilltop who were pushing for a crucial third goal of the game. After Hussein Mahdi had got onto a good through-ball pass inside of the OIR box, it looked likely that he was going to make it 3-0 to Hilltop, but for an excellent recovery challenge/block from OIR defender Mukhtar Muridi. Then, a couple of minutes later, and OIR’s replacement goalkeeper would gather Mohamed Yazya’s header on his goal, following a corner-kick delivery into the centre of the OIR box.

OIR would start to really improve in their all-round play, as the second half progressed. They would go on to get a goal back in this contest, straight after Ahmed Ali’s powerful low effort, from the right-hand side of the Hilltop box had been saved by the feet of their goalkeeper, Ahmed Omar. However, Mukhtar Muridi would then get to the ball on the right-hand side of the penalty area, as he delivered a low cross across the face of the goal, to Adnan Jaamac at the back post, as he tapped the ball into the goal from close range, 2-1.

The end to this game was highly entertaining, and the pace of the game was very good. Hilltop created a great chance to effectively win the game, immediately after the resumption of play. Hilltop substitute Michael Panford would run onto a good lofted pass over the top of the OIR defence. One v one with the OIR goalkeeper however, Michael Panford’s low effort would go just wide of the goalkeeper’s right-hand post. From almost guaranteeing three points, Hilltop then conceded a second goal late on in this contest, as a spirited OIR team performance would see them score a late equalising goal.

For OIR’s equaliser, Adnan Jaamac would this time provide the assist, after receiving the ball on the edge of the Hilltop penalty area. He would pass the ball across to Abdulwahab Mahmud, also on the edge of the box, and the OIR player would curl a good effort into the bottom right-hand corner of the Hilltop goal, 2-2. This was a very enjoyable game of football, in which OIR did ever so well in, during the second half, to get a point from. Hilltop were much the better team during the first half, and they used the ball well for much of the game. However, it was the step 7 side, OIR, who were very clinical in front of goal during the second half, and they kept on going and working well as a team, eventually going on to get the draw, as well as defending their goal well.

My player of the match on Sunday was OIR’s right-back, Mukhtar Muridi. As well as providing the assist for Adnan Jaamac’s goal, the defender got up and down the right-hand side of the pitch really well, making some important defensive contributions. Also for OIR, Adnan Jaamac and Abdulwahab Mahmud were some of their other impressive performers on Sunday. For Hilltop, I thought that central-defender Hussein Hussein, Jibril Mahdi and Kamaal Nur were some of their best players on the day. This Sunday I will be in Feltham, for another SBCL group A fixture, as Newmont face Wood Lane.