The final of this season’s (2026/27) SBCL (Somali British Champions League) took place on Sunday evening at Hendon FC’s Silver Jubilee Park Stadium. Played between two quality sides, in Birmingham based side FC Olympia, and London side Hilltop, it was a repeat of last season’s final. And in season 7 of the excellent SBCL, it was Hilltop who became the first back to back winners of the competition, after winning this final 2-1. And in doing so they won the competition for a third time.
Olympia created the first chance of the game, after Hassan Said had turned skilfully with the ball, before playing a quick pass into the run of Husein Haji. In behind the Hilltop defence and down the right-hand side of their penalty area, Husein Haji would power an effort narrowly over the goal. Not too long after that early Olympia chance, Hilltop player Kamaal Nur would power a low effort (from 25 yards out) just wide of Olympia goalkeeper Jono Brown’s goal. The game had now developed into quite an end to end contest, before Hilltop took the lead. It was a really good Hilltop move which led to them taking the lead. With Kamaal Nur playing the ball across from the right flank into the Olympia box. Two Hilltop players would have efforts blocked/kept out in quick succession, before Hussein Mahdi was alert to the loose ball, tapping the ball into the goal from close range, 0-1.
But, not long before half-time Olympia would react well as a team, going on to draw level. Essam Mohammed’s good free-kick delivery into the Hilltop box was met by Alieu Jabong, whose headed effort on goal was parried by Archie Cunningham, with Aden Ali contesting the ball on the goal-line and finishing into the goal from very close range, 1-1. The opening stages of the second half continued to see the game be closely contested, with Olympia going on to create the first chance of the second half. Husein Haji’s free-kick effort on goal was blocked, but he managed to win back possession of the ball on the left flank, before cutting inside with the ball and powering a low effort narrowly wide of the goal, from 20 yards out.
As the second half progressed Hilltop continued to be patient with the ball in the final third, up against a strong Olympia defence. They would however, retake the lead courtesy of another good and well worked move. Kamaal Nur would play the ball forward a short distance to find the run of Kvar March-McKenzie, who sprinted forwards with the ball down the left-hand side of the Olympia box with the ball, before squaring the ball unselfishly to Ali Mohammed. The Hilltop substitute would finish low into the goal prompting great scenes, 1-2. Hilltop would now have to continue to really defend well, and try and frustrate Olympia in their final third.
The very good Kieran Marshall would make a crucial goal-line clearance from Samir Abdullahi’s free-kick delivery, and that bit of defending from the Hilltop defender proved to be a very big moment in the game. Soon afterwards, Hilltop went forward with the ball. As a great lofted pass had found Hussein Mahdi down the left-hand side of the Olympia box, whose powerful and accurate low effort across goal was excellently turned behind by Jono Brown low down, who made an excellent fingertip save. A couple of minutes later and late on in the game, FC Olympia defender Abdulrahman Saeed made a great last man challenge on Ali Mohammed, to take the ball off the Hilltop player who was through on goal.
Hilltop substitute Makaeel Scott had been making a great impression on this final, after being substituted on late on in the game. One such excellent surging forward run with the ball, during the final minutes of the game, saw the Hilltop player ride a challenge really well inside the Olympia penalty area. Then Makaeel Scott would play the ball across to Ali Mohammed, who just ahead of Archie Cunningham would hit a first time effort against his right-hand post, with the final whistle being sounded shortly after that Hilltop chance. Many congratulations to Hilltop on winning the SBCL once again, with commiserations going to a very good runners-up, in FC Olympia. Very commanding and decisive Hilltop central-defender Kieran Marshall was my player of the match from this final, on Sunday. It was a very memorable season in the SBCL, and the tournament organisers deserve great credit once again.
Team-sheets/match-day squads:
FC Olympia:
(1) Jono Brown
(3) Ahmed Suleiman
(4) Mohamoud Ibrahim
(5) Abdulrahman Saeed
(2) Alieu Jabong
(16) Mohamed Siad
(8) Aden Ali
(6) Essam Mohammed
(11) Lamin Barrow
(7) Husein Haji
(9) Hassan Said
Substitutes:
(15) Abdirahman Aideed
(18) Abdulkarim Aideed
(13) Muhsin Salad
(17) David Anani
(5) Salman Abdullahi
(10) Samir Abdullahi
(14) Lukman Darboe
Hilltop:
(1) Archie Cunningham
(19) Jibril Mahdi (captain)
(4) Kieran Marshall
(8) Hussein Hussein
(20) Shuaib Ali
(2) Luqman Ibrahim
(21) Kamaal Nur
(6) Mohammed Hussein
(17) Kvar March-McKenzie
(22) Hussein Mahdi
(5) Luqman Cusman
Substitutes:
(5) Hassan Omar
(11) Shyon Davis
(7) Makaeel Scott
(9) Ali Mohammed
(10) Anis Assoweh
(14) Abdikafi Dahir
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