Bourj FC won the "Dahieh derby" in the final minutes of the game

Bourj FC - Shabab Sahel 2-0 (0-0)

Mohamad Sadek 86', Abou Baker Al Mel 90'.

Tuesday, 15 March 2022, 2:15 pm local time (12:15 pm UTC), Fouad Chehab Stadium, Jounieh, Lebanon, the 2nd round of the championship play-off, Lebanese Premier League.

Mohamad Sadek (left, #8) and Abou Baker Al Mel (center, #20), the two goalscorers, celebrate together with Youssef Anbar (right) and the rest of their Bourj FC teammates. Source: Bourj FC Facebook page

Bourj FC continue their almost perfect season with the seventh win in a row (!!) and most importantly they are on the verge of making league history, because they are very close to secure the second place in the table, which would their best ever league performance. They even have some slim chances for the national title this season.

Bourj FC starting XI against Shabab Sahel. Source: Bourj FC Facebook page

The Dahieh derby was not an easy match for Bourj FC, as Shabab Sahel (third classified before this round) was the most likely team to threaten the second position of Bourj FC. Bourj FC indeed started as big favourites after six consecutive wins, but Shabab Sahel came after a shameful 6-0 defeat to Ansar and were more than ready to take their revenge on their neighbouring Dahieh rivals.

The two team captains and the referees before the start of the game. Source: elmaestrosport.com

In fact, Shabab Sahel had more than one chance to score and perhaps to turn the match decisively in their favour. Without the league goalscorer, Fadel Antar, who left during the winter break, but with Nigerian forward Christian Obiozor, Shabab Sahel proved to be very strong in attack, and Bourj FC defense had serious problems in stopping Obiozor. Bourj FC goalkeeper Hassan Moghnieh made several crucial saves, one of them in the last minute of the first half, when he kept away a header from short range.

Nigerian forward Christian Obiozor caused permanent troubles for Bourj FC defense, here represented by Shadi Skaf (#3). Source: Shabab Al Sahel FC Facebook page.

In the first half, the two teams shared alternating good and bad periods, with Shabab Sahel more dangerous before the break.

However, Bourj FC started the second half more determined and soon took the overall control of the match. Congolese forward Bersyl Obassi was very fortunate not to receive a second yellow card (48') after an exotic but also dangerous execution which injured one of Shabab Sahel defenders, very much similar to the one which granted him a yellow card at the end of the first half.

The biggest chance for Bourj FC came ten minutes later, when Ali Merkabaoui's shot from outside the box hit the crossbar (58'). The pressure increased, but this also meant ever larger spaces left in the defense, which were used by Shabab Sahel on fast breaks. In one of these breaks, Christian Obiozor succeeded to get through the entire Bourj FC defense but, one on one with the goalkeeper, preferred to pass (wrongly) the ball to a teammate instead of shooting, in one of the clearest goal opportunities that Shabab Sahel had (74').

Bourj FC intensified their attacks in the final minutes and their efforts eventually paid off. A collective action led to the first goal. The ball was passed between Bourj FC players, reaching Bersyl Obassi, who launched Abbas Ali Atwi "Onika", and the latter assisted Mohamad Sadek in between Shabab Sahel defenders. The young Bourj FC winger who had just come in as a sub scored with a wonderful shot to the right of Ali Daher: 1-0 (86'). The visitors protested for an alleged offside position at Abbas Ali Atwi "Onika", on which the TV replays did not shed any light because the angle of the camera does not allow for a clear-cut opinion whether it was offside or not.

In the last minute of the match (excluding stoppage time), Bersyl Obassi passed to Abou Baker Al Mel on the right side, who dribbled his direct opponent, entering the box, and succeeded to shoot from close range but also from a very difficult angle, surprising the goalkeeper: 2-0 (90').

Bourj FC players celebrating after the second goal. Source: Bourj FC Facebook page.

Bourj FC obtained a well-deserved win, and are now pretty much sure they will finish (at least) in second position with three matches to go. Shabab Sahel looked much better than in their previous match against Ansar, but they still need time to recover after several important players left in winter. They will have to struggle to come back into the third place, which they now lost to Ansar.

Bourj FC: Hassan Moghnieh - Mohamad El Dor (Khodor Hallak 71'), Hassan Bitar, Shadi Skaf, Youssef Anbar - Mohamad El Faour, Youssef Atriss (Mohamad Kassem 71') - Abou Baker Al Mel, Abbas Ali Atwi "Onika" (Hussein Ibrahim 90'+1'), Ali Merkabaoui (Mohamad Sadek 81') - Bersyl Obassi (Ibrahim Abou Hamdan 90'+1'). Manager: Fouad Hijazi.

Shabab Sahel starting XI: Ali Daher - Mahmoud Majed, Ali Hazime, Ali Abboud, Mohamad Hammoud - Walid Shour, Mohamad Jaafar, Mohamad Haidar - Hussein Khalife, Christian Obiozor, Zaher Samahi.

In the next round, Bourj FC will play away at Tadamon Sour, and this is another match in which they will start as favourites, even if it is played on the road. Any other result than a win would shatter their dream of becoming champions.

Shabab Sahel will play against Shabab El Bourj in another sort of Dahieh derby. They will also need to win if they would like to get back into third position, hoping that Ansar will not be able to overcome Al Ahed.

In fact, the match between Al Ahed and Ansar will be very much expected by everyone, because it might prove decisive. If Al Ahed win, they will be 99% national champions, and Bourj FC are mathematically sure of the second place no matter what (which would also happen in case of a draw). If Ansar win, Bourj FC title hopes would increase (if they also win), but on the other hand Ansar will stay on the podium and may even attack the second position, in case Bourj FC fail to win.

Full results, table and fixtures:

 

Play-off

 

Round 2 (14-15 March 2022)

 

Shabab El Bourj – Al Ahed 0-3

Ansar – Tadamon Sour 1-0

Bourj – Shabab Sahel 2-0

 

Table

 

1	Al Ahed	13	11	2	0	25-3	35
2	Bourj	13	8	5	0	18-6	29
3	Ansar	13	6	3	4	24-11	21
4	Shabab Sahel	13	6	2	5	20-21	20
5	Tadamon Sour	13	3	5	5	12-13	14
6	Shabab El Bourj	13	4	2	7	15-21	14

 

If two or more teams have the same number of points, the results of head-to-head matches between them are the main ranking criteria.

 

Round 3 (18-19 March 2022)

 

Al Ahed – Ansar

Tadamon Sour – Bourj

Shabab Sahel – Shabab El Bourj

 

Play-out

 

Round 2 (15 March 2022)

 

AC Tripoli – Al Akhaa Al Ahly Aley 2-1

AC Sporting – Safa 1-0

Nejmeh – Hikma / Sagesse 2-0

 

Table

 

7	AC Tripoli	13	6	2	5	16-16	20
8	Nejmeh	13	6	5	2	18-8	17	[1]
9	Hikma / Sagesse	13	3	2	8	7-25	11
10	AC Sporting	13	3	1	9	10-19	10
11	Safa	13	2	4	7	5-18	10
12	Al Akhaa Al Ahly Aley	13	2	3	8	8-17	9

 

If two or more teams have the same number of points, the results of head-to-head matches between them are the main ranking criteria.

 

Round 3 (19-20 March 2022)

 

Nejmeh – AC Sporting

Safa – AC Tripoli

Hikma / Sagesse – Al Akhaa Al Ahly Aley

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[1] Nejmeh were deducted 6 points for not attending the game against Al Ahed in round 10.