Bourj FC - Hikma / Sagesse 1-3 (0-2)
Hassan Mehanna 48' - Papa Laye Dieng 21', 43', 72'.
Saturday, 25 January 2025, 2:15 pm local time (12:15 pm UTC), Al Ahed Stadium, Bourj el-Barajneh (Ouzai), 2nd round of the Lebanese Premier League.
Bourj FC starting line-up. Photo source: Lebanese Football Association.
Hikma / Sagesse starting line-up. Photo source: Lebanese Football Association.
After several months of break, caused by the Israeli attacks, with only one round disputed so far back in September, the Lebanese Premier League resumed in difficult conditions.
While the context is of course very tough for everyone in Lebanon, Bourj FC has it even worse, because they lost their main financial backer, former owner Fadi Nasser, even in summer, when they were on the verge of bankruptcy. However, with some help, they managed to get a team, but it is hard to say if it is competitive enough to stay in the Premier League. Gone are the years when Bourj FC qualified for the play-offs and even dreamed of a title. They will be certainly fighting relegation this season, and this was obvious also in this first game after more than four months against fellow relegation rivals Hikma / Sagesse.
The two captains and the referees before the start of the game. Photo source: Lebanese Football Association.
The match started rather boringly, looking almost like a friendly match. Hikma / Sagesse looked better, with three Senegalese players in the field, compared to zero foreigners for Bourj FC. They needed a little bit more than 20 minutes to take the lead, from a set piece. There was a corner from the right side, rather badly taken to the first post, where a Bourj FC defender failed miserably to clear, providing Papa Laye Dieng the opportunity to take a shot and score: 0-1 (21').
It was only after this goal that Bourj FC woke up and realized that this is an official game and they are down. They slowly started to take control of the game in the middle, but their offensive actions were not sharp enough to break through the opposite defence. Shadi Jouni on the left side was the most active Bourj FC player, but his most promising action ended with a dive in the box (36'), which did not impress the referee (or the VAR officials).
Bourj FC were focused on the attack, and left wide spaces in the defence. And Hikma / Sagesse proved that they know how to manage a counterattack. Or, more precisely, Papa Laye Dieng proved that, almost entirely by himself. A ball lost in a stoupid manner by Bourj players in midfield reached the Senegalese striker, all alone against three Bourj defenders, plus the goalkeeper. Well, he managed to score, imagine that: 0-2 (43')! This might prove two things: one, that the striker is very good, and two, that the defenders are rubbish. Hard to say if it is the first, or the second, or both. Needless to say that he ran with the ball faster than the defenders without the ball, and that the defenders blocked his left foot, while he is right-footed.
Papa Laye Dieng (in the middle) scored a hat-trick for Hikma / Sagesse. Photo source: Lebanese Football Association.
In the second half, things seemed to turn on a different direction. It has just started, when Bourj FC managed to get a goal, from a set piece, a corner kick, almost identical to the one in which they received the first goal of the game. Only that it was taken from the left side, the Hikma / Sagesse player half-missed the ball, sending it perfectly to Hassan Mehanna, who scored from short range: 1-2 (48').
Hassan Mehanna (in yellow) scored the only goal for Bourj FC. Photo source: Lebanese Football Association.
It could have been much more, as Bourj FC certainly pushed for an equalizer, and had several chances, mostly missed by Shadi Jouni (52', 58'), whose shots were saved by Hikma / Sagesse goalkeeper. When the pressure at Hikma / Sagesse goal seemed to reach a momentum, lightning stroke at the other end. Another counterattack, and yet again Papa Laye Dieng got to the ball before Bourj FC goalkeeper to strike it home for a third time in a row: 1-3 (72').
Papa Laye Dieng (no. 17) was the man of the match. Photo source: Lebanese Football Association.
It was all over, despite the fact that there were still 20 minutes or more left in the game. Bourj FC were clearly demoralized and uncapable of turning the game in their favour, so Hikma / Sagesse won 3-1 and now have 6 points, while Bourj FC remain with nothing.
Bourj FC: Ahmad Diab - Youssef Anbar, Ali Abboud, Hassan Hazime (Mohamad Choumer 77'), Mohamad Hammoud - Mohamad El Sibaii "Wartan", Hassan El Mokdad (Ibrahim Hammoudi 46') - Ali Rahal (Abdallah Aich 46'), Hassan Chaito "Moni", Shadi Jouni - Hassan Mehanna. Manager: Fouad Hijazi.
Hikma / Sagesse: Mohamad Zahr - Hussein Fahes (Daniel Abou Fakher 69'), Papa Sidibe, Hassan Hammoud, Michel Feghaly (Mustafa Baydoun 69'), Mahdi Tlays, Ahmad Jalloul (Martin Bou Younes 82'), Alioune Faye (Mohamad Khalife 89'), Hatem Eid, Hadi Madi, Papa Laye Dieng (Alexandre Tabet 82'). Manager: Paul Rustom.
Referee: Ali Reda.
Yellow cards: Hassan Chaito "Moni" 73' - Alioune Faye 23'.
Next match for Bourj FC will be Saturday, 1 February, kick-off at 2:15 pm, against Tadamon Sour.
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