Non-League and Academy football writer

On the 4G pitch at Donkey Lane on Sunday evening, OIR faced FC Olympia in the first leg of the semi-finals of this season’s Somali British Champions League. FC Olympia would impressively win this first leg 4-0. OIR would start this game positively, and they would have a very early goal ruled out for an offside. However, Olympia would, quite soon after, take an early lead from a set-piece. As Mohammed Siad’s curling free-kick effort from out on the left flank would result in OIR goalkeeper Freddy Andrews keeping the ball out of his goal. But, after unfortunately colliding with his right-hand post, Olympia player Aden Ali was able to get to the ball, before finishing low into the goal from close range, 0-1.

After Olympia player Hussein Haji had countered forward with the ball at pace down the right flank, he would take the ball into the OIR box, before hitting a powerful low effort just wide, across the face of the goal. Freddy Andrews would then make a good and impressive low save, as Olympia continued to push for a second goal. Yet, in the next chance of the game, it would result in OIR being awarded a penalty after Adnan Jaamac had been fouled after getting in behind the Olympia defence, inside of their penalty area. But, Adnan Jaamac’s resulting chipped effort from the penalty spot would hit Divin Emmanuel’s crossbar, before going over.

Next, and Divin Emmanuel would rush out of his goal well to clear the ball away from the feet of Alie Bangura, who was through on goal down the left-hand side of his penalty area. Then at the other end of the pitch, soon after, a quickly taken free-kick to Samir Abdullahi down the left-hand side of the OIR box, would result in the FC Olympia number 10 playing a short pass across to Fahme Ibrahim, whose powerful effort would go over off the top of the crossbar.

OIR would go on to create the first real goalscoring chance of the second half. As Alie Bangura would show some really good skill down the left-hand side of Olympia box, going beyond a defender, before seeing his effort be well saved by Divin Emmanuel, at his near post. There were a couple of additional chances for both sides during the early stages of the second half, but it was Olympia who came the closest to getting the next goal of the game. As Fahme Ibrahim would receive a short forward pass in behind of the OIR defence, down the right-hand side of their box, before powering an effort off the goalkeeper’s near post, with the ball then going across goal.

Lamin Barrow had been impressing on the ball with his directness and skill in wide areas, since being substituted on. After doing well to go past an OIR defender down the left-hand side of their penalty area, Lamin Barrow would play the ball across to Muhsin Salad in the centre of the box. But, he slightly rushed his effort, as the ball went over the goal. As the second half progressed, it became more successful for Olympia, who during the latter stages of the game, would score their second goal of the evening. After Essam Mohamed had nodded the ball beyond Freddy Andrews and into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, following Salman Abdullahi’s good lofted, diagonal free-kick delivery into the OIR penalty area, 0-2.

Divin Emmanuel would make a hugely important one versus one save following a through-ball pass to an on running OIR forward, inside of the Olympia box. But, it was Olympia who would go on to add to two late further goals to their tally, during the very latter stages of the game. For their third goal of the evening, Lamin Barrow would show some really good perseverance to win the ball off an OIR defender on the edge of their penalty area, and after going just into the box, he would leave the ball for Salman Abdullahi. The influential FC Olympia player would then finish low and clinically into the goal, 0-3. And just before the end of the game, for Olympia’s fourth goal, Abdikarim Aideed would flick home Salman Abdullahi’s lofted ball into the OIR box, 0-4.

OIR did have chances in this game, but Olympia did well to get an important 4-0 win, in the first leg of this semi-final. They played very well both in and out of possession of the ball, and they were clinical in front of goal. Despite only being substituted on during the second half of this game, with two very important assists and one goal, Salman Abdullahi was my player of the match on Sunday. However, the performances of the excellent Aden Ali, Samir Abdullahi, and Lamin Barrow were also very good, and influential for Olympia.