The Quest for Glory – A Tale of Two Worthy Teams

It’s been 3 exhilarating weekends of fantastic soccer, packed with nail biting moments of apprehension, twists, turns, victories, upsets, and every imaginable feeling one could muster as fans observed recreational soccer at its best.  Undoubtedly, all participating teams played their hearts out and through the sweat, sore limbs, and charged adrenaline levels, two teams (DC Eagles Avengers & Cullen FC) emerged from the group stage and will compete in the finals on Saturday 3rd June 2017 for the SLN Challenge Cup.

It’s ironic that the first game between these two teams ended in a 2-2 draw – indicating how evenly matched they are.

Also ironic, is these two teams were bottom of the table prior to the final set of group games. The sheer mental strength both teams demonstrated to overcome their opponents and clinch the final spots, provides some insight on what to expect for this Saturday’s grand finale.

A couple of key players to look out for:

CULLEN FC

• Daddy Bazuaye – Current front-runner for the golden boot award with 3 goals and 1 assist. His off-the-ball movement often catches defenders unawares and he is gifted with a wicked left foot which has produced 3 free-kick goals in 3 games.
• Yomi Ibagbeola – The main Center Forward with 1 goal and 1 assist. He is highly skilled in running off the shoulders of defenders to create chances for either himself or his team mates. He also possesses explosive pace and great dribbling ability.
• Dare Orepitan – The playmaker for the team. A strong believer in controlling the game through passing and ball movement, he operates mainly in the central attacking area.
• Samuel Idakwo – Central Midfielder who works tirelessly as an interceptor and playmaker for the team. He is a good passer of the ball and he never hesitates to close down opposing players.
• Ajibade Adekunle – Nicknamed “Kinetic” for a reason – His raw energy which never appears to wane. His job is to snuff out opponents and he does this tirelessly throughout the game.
• Teghese Omoregie –Center Back, whose job is to marshal the defense line. He is an excellent reader of the game and does the job with a lot of efficiency.

DC EAGLES AVENGERS

• Reuben Ojeyinka – Nicknamed “Robo”, he plays as the main striker. He is quite quick on his feet, makes good use of his upper body strength, takes defenders and has a good eye for goal.
• Mathias Oyedepo – Popularly known as “Abbey”, he is an influential player who can comfortably play anywhere. He is currently the runner up for the Golden Boot Award with 3 goals and he influences the game in any role he plays. His passing accuracy is high, as well as his ball holding and defensive qualities. In the striker role, he is highly effective as a box player who gets the job done.
• Uche Ugwa – Central Midfielder who imposes his physical presence on the field. He plays with a lot of energy, a good passer and also dead ball specialist. He also makes use of his upper body strength during gameplay. Whenever there’s a battle to control the midfield, he’ll be in the thick of it.
• Stanley Odezulu – Central Attacking Midfielder with quick speed of thought, body movement and dribbling ability. He works tirelessly for the team and also packs a lot of power when he shoots the ball.
• Ndu Odocha – Skilled defender who can play in any defensive position – RB, LB or CB. Ndu plays with a lot of energy and works for the team. He doesn’t take any chances and his main focus is to stop the opposition – which he does effectively.
• Jide Olagbegi – Multi-talented player, who can play in defense, midfield or offense. He packs a mean and powerful shot when given the opportunity, and he’s highly skilled in closing opponents down and winning the ball.

The grand finale on Saturday is billed to be an epic match between two teams who deserve to be in the finals. As the clock begins it’s steady countdown to Saturday 3rd of June 2017, both players and fans all appear to have the same burning question – Which Team will be crowned as Champions?

After the final whistle is blown tomorrow, we will know…