La Viena FC - Fayoum SC 3-0 (2-0)
Rajab Maro 2', Hisham Neymar 45'+4', Adidamola 90'+2'.
Thursday, 25 May 2023, 5 pm local time (2 pm UTC), Alassiouty Sport Resort, Fayoum / Beni Suef, Egypt, the 27th round of the Egyptian Second Division, Group A.
Fayoum starting line-up. Photo source: Ahmad Elkady / Fayoum SC Facebook page
La Viena is one of the main candidates for promotion this year, and they only one point away from the leaders, El Gouna. Actually, only these two teams remain with serious chances of promotion to the Egyptian Premier League, because Asyut Petroleum, in third place, are already too far to become a threat.
Fayoum, on the other hand, have a very weak second half of the season, with only one win in 12 matches, and they are only three points above the last classified, which will be relegated straight to the Third Division at the end of the season.
The referees and the two team captains before the start of the game. Photo source: Ahmad Elkady / Fayoum SC Facebook page
However, despite the apparent large difference between the two teams, and the final score, the match was much more balanced than it might appear. It all started with an obviously wrong decision by the referees, when the first goal of La Viena was allowed, although there was a clear offside position of the La Viena player who assisted Rajab Maro, who scored in an empty net: 1-0 (2').
This is the sort of luck that important teams have, compared to the others. And Fayoum were really unlucky in this game, judging by the amount of opportunities they had to equalize.
Fayoum SC dominated the match, but were unable to score a single goal. Photo source: Ahmad Elkady / Fayoum SC Facebook page
La Viena defended their narrow lead, while Fayoum players like Mohamad Morsi, John Manga and others missed the target from excellent positions. It all culminated at the end of the first half. After a corner from the right side, taken by John Manga, Mostafa Saad headed the ball into the crossbar (45').
In the injury time of the first half, provided mainly because of the water break in the middle of the first half, La Viena succeeded to increase their lead. In the last action of the first half, Hisham Neymar took advantage of a less careful pass in the Fayoum defence, and shot from 30 m in the upper left corner: 2-0 (45'+4').
Fayoum played offensively but La Viena had a well-organized defence. Photo source: Ahmad Elkady / Fayoum SC Facebook page
The second half was very similar to the first one. Fayoum attacked more, as Alaa Metwally was sent in at half time to increase the offensive power. Nevertheless, the "visitors" (so to say, as both teams use the same stadium as their home ground) were unable to find ways of penetrating the well-organized La Viena defence. They even had less opportunities than in the first half, although the percentage of ball possession probably increased for Fayoum, but had no practical consequences.
Ahmad Koshary (#28, in green, Fayoum SC) showed impressive versatility, as a striker in the first half and as a centre back in the second half. Photo source: Ahmad Elkady / Fayoum SC Facebook page
Fayoum pressed harder for a goal towards the end of the match, and they risked more, eventually paying for their courage to play offensively. Once again in injury time, after a corner for Fayoum, La Viena launched a fast break, which ended up with sub Adidamola scoring the third and final goal of the match: 3-0 (90'+2').
La Viena (starting line-up): Kameni - Shifo, Halawani, Mazzika, Marcelo - Owen, Scholes, Qasim, Hisham Neymar, Mocka - Rajab Maro. Manager: George Galidi.
Fayoum: Mohamad Kandil - Mohamad Ashraf (Islam Sayed Lamouna 71'), Hamad Hassan, El Sayed Lotfy, Mohamad Adel - Mohamad Morsi (Alaa Metwally 46'), Salah Rifaat (Mostafa Afroto 59'), Mostafa Saad - Raymond Jamil (Saad Jamal 59'), Ahmad Koshary, John Manga (Mahmoud Sami 71'). Manager: Essam Khairallah.
The match was broadcasted by Nile Sports on TV, and by La Viena FC on social media.
La Viena FC remain one point away from the leaders, El Gouna, and still have good chances for promotion with three matches to go. On the other hand, at the bottom of the table, Fayoum are in desperate need for points. They lost 1-0 at home to KIMA Aswan last week, and they really need a good result against third classified Asyut Petroleum in the next round, otherwise they will play decisive matches in the last two rounds, when they face fellow relegation-troubled teams, Nasser Mallawi (away) and Merkaz Shabab Tamiya (at home).
Full results, table and fixtures:
Round 27 (25-26 May 2023)
Al Madina Al Monawara – El Gouna 0-2
Aluminium – Asyut Cement 0-2
Naser Mallawi – Tamya 1-0
KIMA Aswan – Al Nasr Lel Taa’den 1-2
Asyut Petroleum – Shoban M. Qena 2-0
Misr Lel Makkasa – El Minya 1-1
La Viena – Fayoum 3-0
Dayrout – Telephonat 2-2
Table
|
1 |
El Gouna |
27 |
18 |
6 |
3 |
44-20 |
60 |
Promotion to the Premier League |
|
2 |
La Viena |
27 |
18 |
5 |
4 |
45-17 |
59 |
Qualification for Second Division A |
|
3 |
Asyut Petroleum |
27 |
16 |
5 |
6 |
36-16 |
53 |
Qualification for Second Division A |
|
4 |
Al Nasr Lel Taa’den |
27 |
14 |
8 |
5 |
37-23 |
50 |
Qualification for Second Division A |
|
5 |
Misr Lel Makkasa |
27 |
11 |
12 |
4 |
41-33 |
45 |
Qualification for Second Division A |
|
6 |
KIMA Aswan |
27 |
11 |
8 |
8 |
31-28 |
41 |
Play-off Second Division A / B |
|
7 |
El Minya |
27 |
10 |
9 |
8 |
27-21 |
39 |
Qualification for Second Division B |
|
8 |
Asyut Cement |
27 |
10 |
7 |
10 |
30-32 |
37 |
Qualification for Second Division B |
|
9 |
Dayrout |
27 |
9 |
9 |
9 |
35-27 |
36 |
Qualification for Second Division B |
|
10 |
Aluminium |
27 |
9 |
7 |
11 |
29-24 |
34 |
Qualification for Second Division B |
|
11 |
Shoban M. Qena |
27 |
7 |
8 |
12 |
26-33 |
29 |
Qualification for Second Division B |
|
12 |
Fayoum |
27 |
5 |
7 |
15 |
21-36 |
22 |
Qualification for Second Division B |
|
13 |
Tamya |
27 |
4 |
10 |
13 |
18-34 |
22 |
Qualification for Second Division B |
|
14 |
Naser Mallawi |
27 |
5 |
6 |
16 |
20-46 |
21 |
Qualification for Second Division B |
|
15 |
Telephonat |
27 |
4 |
8 |
15 |
22-45 |
20 |
Qualification for Second Division B |
|
16 |
Al Madina Monawara |
27 |
4 |
7 |
16 |
25-52 |
19 |
Relegation to the Third Division |
In case that two or more teams are equal on points, the results of the head-to-head matches are the main ranking criteria.
Round 28 (1-2 June 2023)
Asyut Cement – Dayrout
Shoban M. Qena – Naser Mallawi
El Minya – Aluminium
Fayoum – Asyut Petroleum
El Gouna – Tamya
Al Madina Al Monawara – Misr Lel Makkasa
Telephonat – KIMA Aswan
Al Nasr Lel Taa’den – La Viena
