Nabi Chit - Bourj FC 2-2 (1-0), 3-5 at penalty shoot-outs
Malik Al Moussawi 27' (penalty), Hassan Shoman 71' - Abbas Ali Atwi "Onika" 47', Hassan Bitar 90'+3'.
Penalties: Malik Al Moussawi missed, then Muhammad Adnan Al Moussawi, Ali Zain Shukr and Muhammad Matar scored for Nabi Chit; Akram Moghrabi, Khodor Hallak, Abbas Ali Atwi "Onika", Hussein Al Outa (at the second attempt) and goalkeeper Abdelkarim Saleh scored for Bourj FC. Bourj FC started the penalty shoot-outs, and therefore the fifth penalty for Nabi Chit was not executed.
Saturday, 18 December 2021, 1:30 pm local time (11:30 am UTC), Amin Abdelnour Stadium, Bhamdoun (Aley), Lebanon, round of 16 of the Lebanese FA Cup.
On an unusually cold and rainy day, which also affected the pitch, Bourj FC had an unexpectedly difficult game against Nabi Chit, which is currently third in the Second Division, fighting to come back to the Premier League. Nabi Chit were officially the hosts, although the match was played at Amin Abdelnour Stadium in Bhamdoun, the usual home ground for Bourj FC.
Bourj FC starting line-up. Source: Bourj FC Facebook page (photo by Talal Salman)
Bourj FC started the game very offensively, and had lots of goal-scoring opportunities. Between the 8th and the 11th minute of the match, there was a succession of shots, blocked by Nabi Chit goalkeeper Hassan Hussein or the defenders. A free kick executed by Abbas Ali Atwi "Onika" ended up hitting the side post (19').
The first time that Nabi Chit reached the opposite box, they scored. They had a corner from the left side, the ball was sent into the box, where Mohamad Kassem tripped Hassan Shoman. The penalty was executed by Malik Al Moussawi: 1-0 (27').
Bourj FC resumed their attacks, but could not equalize before the break, despite their offensive assault. Ali Merkabaoui's header over the cross bar (34') was their biggest chance during this period.
Immediately after the break, however, Bourj FC equalized. Abbas Ali Atwi "Onika" executed a free kick from the right side, something between a cross and a shot, the ball took a wild turn, was touched by the goalkeeper, hit the cross bar, and fell beyond the goal-line: 1-1 (47').
Nabi Chit goalkeeper, Hassan Hussein, was unable to save the shot sent by Abbas Ali Atwi "Onika": 1-1 (47'). Source: elmaestrosport.com (photo by Talal Salman)
After the goal, Bourj FC attacks declined in intensity, though they still had most of the possession and the game was played almost exclusively in Nabi Chit half. After so much rain, the condition of the pitch got worse by the minute, and it was very difficult to play in certain areas, where ponds formed. These conditions were a clear disadvantage for the offensive and more technical team, Bourj FC, but an advantage for those in defense, Nabi Chit. The game became very physical indeed, and Nabi Chit players accused many injuries, so the game was stopped and fragmented very often.
After 20 minutes of the second half, Nabi Chit launched their first counterattack (65'). It was not a dangerous action, compared to those of Bourj FC, but a sign of warning that they are not going to defend forever. And indeed, a few minutes later, they succeeded to take the lead again, astonishingly, taking advantage of a mistaken offside move made by Boruj FC defense, which left three Nabi Chit forwards alone with one defender (Hassan Bitar) and Bourj FC goalkeeper, and Hassan Shoman scored, assisted by Malik Al Moussawi: 2-1 (71').
Bourj FC intensified their attacks again, getting more desperate as the end of the match neared. One of their problems was that they made four offensive changes at half time, and they only had one substitution in hand, which they used to change the right back. Nabi Chit defended with much determination and wasted time as much as possible. Hussein Ghanem's header hit the cross bar (85'), and a deflected shot by Hassan Mehanna hit the side post (90').
Bourj FC efforts bore fruit however. After one of Youssef Anbar's long throws into the box, the ball was crossed by Hussein Ghanem, Akram Moghrabi's shot was saved by a defender from the goal-line, the ball deflected to Hassan Bitar who scored from short range: 2-2 (90'+3'). Bourj FC even had time to look for the win, but Hassan Mehanna's shot from the right hit the post for the fourth time in this game (90'+5').
The penalties started well for Bourj FC, as Akram Moghrabi scored, while Malik Al Moussawi's shot went into the crossbar and then wide. This small difference was kept right until the end, although there was some controversy related to Bourj FC fourth penalty, executed by Hussein Al Outa. His shot was saved by goalkeeper Hassan Hussein, but the referee decided that the goalkeeper moved outside the goal-line to save the penalty, so Hussein Al Outa repeated the penalty, and scored. Another interesting fact is that the decisive penalty (the fifth one) for Bourj FC was executed and transformed by the goalkeeper, Abdelkarim Saleh.
Bourj FC won 5-3 at penalties, and advanced to the quarter-finals of the Lebanese FA Cup, where they will face another Second Division team, Racing Beirut, on Wednesday, 22 December 2021.
Nabi Chit: Hassan Hussein - Ali Abbas Al Moussawi, Ali Zain Shukr, Muhammad Adnan Al Moussawi (Abbas Radwan Al Moussawi 46', Karim Moqalim 90'+2'), Malik Al Moussawi, Hassan Shoman (Hassan Ali Shoman 75'), Muhammad Matar, Muhammad Shalhoub (Mohammed Hassan Al Mousa 54'), Muhammad Shukr, Ali Awada, Naji Al Qadri.
Bourj FC: Abdelkarim Saleh - Hamza Abboud (Mohammad El Dor 75'), Khodor Hallak, Hassan Bitar, Ibrahim Abou Hamdan (Youssef Anbar 46') - Mohamad Kassem (Hussein Ibrahim "Saaouk" 46'), Abbas Ali Atwi "Onika", Mohamad Al Faour (Hussein Ghanem 46') - Hussein Al Outa, Hassan Mehanna, Ali Merkabaoui (Akram Moghrabi 46'). Manager: Fouad Hijazi.
Referee: Maher Al Ali.
Yellow cards: Naji Al Qadri and Muhammad Matar (Nabi Chit), Akram Moghrabi and Youssef Anbar (Bourj FC).
In the other matches of the round of 16:
Hikma / La Sagesse - Shabab Sahel 0-0, 5-3 at penalties.
Racing Beirut - AC Tripoli 1-0
Shabab El Bourj - Safa 1-0
Tadamon Sour - Nejmeh 2-2, 6-7 at penalties.
Salam Zgharta - AC Sporting Beirut 1-1, 8-7 at penalties.
Al Akhaa Al Ahly Aley - Al Ahed 0-3
Shabab Al Ghazieh - Ansar 0-3
The quarter-finals of the Lebanese FA Cup will be played on 21 and 22 December, including the following matches:
Ahed - Nejmeh
Hikma / La Sagesse - Shabab El Bourj
Salam Zgharta - Ansar
Racing Beirut - Bourj FC
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