16 Feb 2016
Doha, 16 February 2016. Aspire Football Dreams were crowned champions of the Al Kass International Cup 2016 on Monday evening after a 2-0 win against Real Madrid. With high expectations of a clash between two Al Kass titans, an excitable crowd welcomed Real Madrid and Aspire Football Dreams on to the pitch, as an electric atmosphere held great promise for both sides.
Staring on an ambitious front foot, playing for both honour and silverware, the first few minutes made it clear that the match would provide a challenging test for both teams, with no side showing an immediate advantage. As tensions and desires ran high, the first yellow card of the game was given to Real Madrid, rewarding Mohammed Katana Njanje with an incredibly calm penalty, which gave Aspire Football Dreams the first goal of the final (18’). Another goal of the captain after 56 minutes secured his team the 2-0 win.
“Our final match against Real Madrid was intense because I was shouting the entire time, and for the team the score talks for itself – we won! I was trying to make the team keep the ball more in the first half but regardless, they are warriors and I’m very proud of them. They have performed really well throughout the tournament and we really didn’t expect this result going up against Real Madrid,” said Aspire Football Dreams Head Coach Alexandre Garcia Canedo.
Aspire Football Dreams-goalkeeper Abdul Manf Nurudeen added: “Today is a wonderful day for me and the team because we managed to beat one of the top clubs in the world. Being awarded Most Valuable Player of the match was not something I expected and it is a true honour for me. We were confident about our match between Real Madrid because we have been preparing for this competition for six months and we made it happen – I am so proud of all of us and we really do deserve this win.”
Celebrating its fifth and most successful tournament yet, the Al Kass International Cup 2016 provided a spectacular send-off for the footballers who lit up the 2016 competition. With hundreds of local football fans in the crowd to witness the celebrations, the final night extravaganza did not disappoint. Winning the tournament for a second time after their 2014 success, Aspire Football Dreams were honoured in spectacular style following their final match triumph over Real Madrid. Inter Milan bowed out on a high after defeating FC Red Bull Salzburg 2-1 in the third-place play-off.
The competition’s Golden Boot was bestowed upon Paris Saint-Germain forward Thimothy Tarpeh Weah who scored five goals - alongside Aspire Academy’s Abdulrasheed Ibrahim. Aspire Football Dreams captain, Mohamed Katana Nyanje was recognised as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.
Find out more about the 5th ‘Al Kass International Cup’ on http://internationalcup.alkass.net.