The title dream is still alive after the eighth win in a row for Bourj FC

Tadamon Sour - Bourj FC 0-1 (0-0)

Mohamad Sadek 90'+5' penalty.

Saturday, 19 March 2022, 2:15 pm local time (12:15 pm UTC), Sour Municipal Stadium, Tyre (Sour), Lebanon, the 3rd round of the championship play-off, Lebanese Premier League.

Bourj FC starting line-up against Tadamon Sour. Source: Tadamon Sour Facebook page

The title dream is still alive for Bourj FC with several rounds to go. Who would have believed that? The second place is in itself the best ever league performance for Bourj FC throughout their history. Is it possible for them to get even more? The last rounds will provide the answer, but, however slim, the chances are still there!

Mohamed Santina, Tadamon's goalkeeper, had many excellent saves throughout the match. Source: Tadamon Sour Facebook page

The match against Tadamon Sour was not at all easy, and the win came in the very last minute of stoppage time. There was quite a large amount of luck needed for such an ending for a game which seemed that could go either way, taking into account the chances that both teams had.

Source: Tadamon Sour Facebook page

Tadamon started the match offensively, and had two dangerous shots in the first ten minutes, both saved by Hassan Moghnieh. Gradually, Bourj FC took over the control of the game and attacked constantly. Abou Baker Al Mel had a great long range shot from a free kick more than 40 meters away, almost surprising Mohamed Santina, who had to do his best to save (21').

Mohamed Santina saved Abou Baker Al Mel's shot (21'). Source: Tadamon Sour Facebook page

Several other shots followed, including one from the same Abou Baker Al Mel (31'), but Mohamed Santina had no problems in saving everything.

In the second half, Bourj FC intensified their attacks, but left more empty spaces in the defense, and Tadamon Sour had some excellent opportunities to break the deadlock. A series of mistakes in the visitors' defense led to Tadamon's greatest chance, in fact two consecutive chances: a first shot, one on one with the goalkeeper, saved by Hassan Moghnieh; and then a second shot, from a different Tadamon player, which hit the crossbar (53'). Bourj FC manager, Fouad Hijazi, made several changes, but the next big opportunity was also for Tadamon, as Hassan Moghnieh stopped Adnan Melhem right in front of the goal (66').

Goalkeeper Hassan Moghnieh (in black) made several great saves keeping a clean sheet for Bourj FC. Source: Tadamon Sour Facebook page

The final minutes belonged entirely to Bourj FC. They pressed continuously, but succeeded little, despite having many set pieces (free kicks, corner kicks) which could have led to a goal. But Tadamon defense resisted heroically almost to the end.

There were harsh battles inside Tadamon's box in the last minutes of the game, but eventually Mohamad Sadek (#8, center-right) transformed a penalty to give Bourj FC another win. Source: Tadamon Sour Facebook page

The decisive action took place in the third minute of stoppage time. Abbas Ali Atwi "Onika" found a magic pass over Tadamon defenders, launching both Mohamad Sadek and Akram Moghrabi in the box. Mohamad Sadek was better placed, but wrongly thought he was offside, so he left Akram Moghrabi (who came from behind) to control the ball. However, Akram Moghrabi was tackled by Abbas Cherkawi, who succeeded to send the ball out in the corner, but the referee decided that he made a foul and awarded a penalty (90'+3'). Tadamon players protested but the decision stood. Of all Bourj FC players, it was young Mohamad Sadek who took the responsibility to execute the penalty, and scored: 0-1 (90'+5').

What happened in the end is unclear. The referee probably whistled the end of the match while Bourj FC players celebrated and some spectators invaded the pitch, most likely to seek revenge on the referee. The YouTube transmission ended abruptly, and so did the match. However, the final score was confirmed as 0-1.

Tadamon Sour: Mohamad Santina - Abbas Cherkawi, Ali Abdallah Bitar, Hussein Mhaydle, Mohamad Dbouk (Bilal Hajo 63'), Wael Youssef, Rabah Mazbouh (Hassan Cherkawi 88'), Jawad Kawtharani, Alaa El Baba (Salim Hamadeh 70'), Hassan Hawila (Karim Mansour 59'), Adnan Melhem. Manager: Mohamad Zouheir.

Bourj: Hassan Moghnieh - Youssef Anbar, Khodor Hallak, Hassan Bitar, Shadi Skaf - Mohamad Kassem (Hussein Ibrahim 56'), Mohamad Al Faour - Abou Baker Al Mel (Ali Merkabaoui 90'), Abbas Ali Atwi "Onika", Hussein Al Outa (Mohamad Sadek 56') - Bersyl Obassi (Akram Moghrabi 56'). Manager: Fouad Hijazi.

Referee: Samer Al-Sayed Kassem.

Realistically, the title chances for Bourj FC are slim, because they have two tough matches ahead, against two of the best teams in Lebanon, Ansar and Al Ahed, and they need to win both matches. Moreover, they need a miracle to happen in the match between Al Ahed and Shabab Sahel. Is it possible for Bourj FC archrivals, Shabab Al Sahel, to lend a helping hand? Is it possible for Al Ahed to lose or draw in such a decisive match for them to win the title, while Shabab Sahel would only fight for the third place?

All these questions will be answered two weeks from now, because the Lebanese Premier League will take a break, like most leagues, to make room for the matches of the national teams.

Full results, tables and fixtures:

Play-off

Round 3 (18-19 March 2022)

 

Al Ahed – Ansar 0-0

Tadamon Sour – Bourj 0-1

Shabab Sahel – Shabab El Bourj 4-1

 

Table

 

1	Al Ahed	14	11	3	0	25-3	36
2	Bourj	14	9	5	0	19-6	32
3	Shabab Sahel	14	7	2	5	24-22	23
4	Ansar	14	6	4	4	24-11	22
5	Tadamon Sour	14	3	5	6	12-14	14
6	Shabab El Bourj	14	4	2	8	16-25	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 4 (2-3 April 2022)

 

Tadamon Sour – Shabab El Bourj

Ansar – Bourj

Al Ahed – Shabab Sahel

 

Round 5 (8-9 April 2022)

 

Shabab Sahel – Tadamon Sour

Ansar – Shabab El Bourj

Ahed – Bourj

 

Play-out

Round 3 (19-20 March 2022)

 

Nejmeh – AC Sporting 1-1

Safa – AC Tripoli

Hikma / Sagesse – Al Akhaa Al Ahly Aley

 

Table

 

7	AC Tripoli	13	6	2	5	16-16	20
8	Nejmeh	14	6	6	2	19-9	18	[1]
9	Hikma / Sagesse	13	3	2	8	7-25	11
10	AC Sporting	14	3	2	9	11-20	11
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 4 (2-3 April 2022)

 

AC Tripoli – Hikma / Sagesse

AC Sporting – Al Akhaa Al Ahly Aley

Nejmeh – Safa

---

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

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

---

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