By Yankuba Jallow
Yarambamba FC this past weekend triumphed over Jaliba United to win the 2017 Brikama Knockout Cup on post-match penalties after a one- all score.
It was sweet revenge for Yarambamba against Jaliba United for their defeat last year in the League Cup.
Yarambamba got humbled on post-match penalties in that tie but walked a mile more this year by ensuring a reverse of the gear, smacking Jaliba on 5-4 kicks.
Ebrima Fatty raced Yarambamba ahead with just twenty-five minutes ticking before Omar Nyandu evened matters for Jaliba, prompting spot-kick settlement of the fixture with Yarambamba clutching the silverware.
Yarambamba FC were awarded a cheque of D20, 000 as winners whilst Jaliba United went home with D15, 000.
Ousman Fadera, the head of the winners said the success for this year’s campaign was achieved through collective training of the players.
‘The difference this year is the team (Yarambamba) played in the 3rd division and came out 2nd in the group and we maintained the (Same) team,’ Fadera said.
‘Last year we lost 1-0 against Jaliba and we are an academy team. We like to keep the ball but today the match was tough on us because we were denied keeping possession,’ he said.
‘We don’t train for penalties and this year we are the only team without a defeat and draw because we have won all our matches in both the league and knockout cups,’ he said.
‘Our aim is not to only stop at playing at the newettan, of course it helps us to develop players and market them, but we want to see ourselves advance to the next level,’ he said.
The coach for the runner-ups, Foday Jaiteh said the defeat came about because the boys were not so sharp by failing to score the best two chances they had in the first half.
‘It is painful because I want to win but I have to take it in good faith because this is football, you either win or lose,’ he said.
