Norwood Young Stars hold their nerve to pip Rangers

Abimbola Babatunde, goalkeeper of Norwood Young Stars, produced great heroics to help his team defeat a defiant Rangers Football Club by 5-4 on penalties.

The teams played at the Alexandra Northrand Local Football Association’s year-end tournament and featured teams from the U13, U15, U17 and U20 leagues as well as the senior teams.

The tournament kicked off on 21 November and the final is scheduled to be played on 12 December at the Alexandra Stadium.

Rangers started off as the better of the two teams as they enjoyed much of the ball possession in the opening phases of the game. Bakhe Tawuli of Rangers busked onto the left wing beating two defenders in the 11th minute, but his cross went over the bar.

With 20 minutes into the match, Young Stars settled into the game, with Shadrack Opare and Ani Austin showing great pass interchange, but this did not trouble the Rangers’ defence.

Both teams went into the half-time break goalless, as none of them capitalised on the opportunities they created. Young stars came out guns blazing in the second half and raised the tempo of the game as they pushed forward for the all-important goal.

Rangers goalkeeper, Jopesh Shibambo kept his team in the game with his brilliant saves. Ijeh Emeka Michael of Young Stars also received a glorious opportunity to seal the game for his team when he found himself one-on-one

with the keeper in the 70th minute, but once again Shibambo came to the rescue.

Neither of the two teams managed to score in open play. With the game being a cup game, it meant the teams had to go to penalties to find a winner.

Babatunde of Young Stars saved on penalties and the other one went wide, as he led his team to the second round of the tournament.

Valentine Eze, coach of Young Stars, was delighted with his boys’ performance but admitted that there is still room for improvement and in their next game they will come back stronger.