Football: Airtel Cup - La Passe, St Michel book final berth |08 June 2015

Defending Airtel Cup holders La Digue’s La Passe and St Michel booked their place in this year’s final on Saturday in the second leg semifinal matches played on La Digue and Stad Linite for a repeat of last year’s final.
La Digue-based La Passe who dethroned St Michel as champions last year with a 2-1 victory at Stad Linite, were held 1-1 by Foresters at home but progressed to the final 3-1 on aggregate score, while St Michel edged Côte d’Or 1-0 at Stad Linite after a goalless away draw on Praslin last Tuesday.

La Passe draw with Foresters
La Passe hosted newcomers Foresters on La Digue with a solid 2-0 advantage after the first match and the Mont Fleuri-based club suffered a setback early in the match as they had to replace their goalkeeper Frank Moutoni who injured himself after an awkward fall and it was Ryan Jules who came on.

The substitution according to Foresters coach Rodney Choisy disrupted his team’s play and they conceded in the 29th minute when Renick Esther struck to put the score at 1-0 (3-0 on aggregate).
But Foresters came storming back in the second half as Kenyan striker Tony Kizito levelled matters at 1-1 in the 56th minute.

Foresters kept pressing and had a couple of decent chances to put the cat among the pigeons but La Passe survived despite not playing at their best in coach Bruno Saindini’s view.

“We did not play well as probably the players thought they had already qualified while our opponents had nothing to lose and put in a good performance and I must praise them for their effort. But now we are in the final and our aim is to retain our title,” coach Saindini told Sports Nation.

As for coach Choisy, he was left to rue missed opportunities as they had chances to upset La Passe in their own backyard.
“I’m disappointed as we should have reversed the score with the number of chances we created in this match. But I must commend my players for giving La Passe a run for their money,” the Foresters trainer said.

St Michel edge Côte d’Or
This match was evenly poised after a goalless draw in the first leg and on Saturday it was another fiery encounter where three players were sent off in front of a large crowd.

Both teams had to make changes to their squad with Nelson Laurence partnering Yannick Manou in defence as Malagasy Leonard Besabotsy was suspended and Côte d’Or’s star midfielder, Malagasy Jean Tigana was injured.

Côte d’Or tried to stifle St Michel out of their free-flowing football but referee Kerens Yocette imposed his authority on this very physical match.
St Michel broke the deadlock in the 10th minute as Karl Hall rose majestically to head home Gervais Waye-Hive’s corner to make it 1-0 much to the delight of their supporters.

Four minutes later Côte d’Or captain Jones Joubert almost turned into his own net Hall’s wicked cross which hit him on his back and sailed agonisingly over the bar with goalkeeper Kitson Cecile way off his line.

In the 26th minute, Dine Suzette pounced on an error by Malagasy defender Mohamed Aboudou to fire at goalkeeper Nelson Sopha who spilled the shot but Laurence cleared the danger.
Just past the half hour mark, Côte d’Or’s goalkeeper Cecile produced a world-class save to deny Waye-Hive at point blank range as he connected to Leeroy Corallie’s cross.

Côte d’Or came out in the second half more determined and  on the hour mark, Malagasy Jimmy Radafison volleyed narrowly wide Darwind Rosette’s corner and two minutes later Marcus Labiche should have hit the target from a superb cross by Rosette.

In the 64th minute, Ryan Antat was given his marching orders for his second bookable offence as he clattered into Hall and four minutes later it was equal parity as Hall was also sent off for his second yellow card as he threw the ball at Malagasy Patrick Rasaminana, the luckiest player on the pitch not to be expulsed for too many fouls. Referee Yocette was alerted to this incident by his assistant and the fourth official as Rasaminana went down in a heap.  

Côte d’Or were surely the better side in this latter stage as St Michel dropped deep to defend and Rosette and substitute Gerald Basset had glorious chances to score, both from Rasaminana free kicks but they headed wide.

Rosette then got himself sent off for his second yellow card as he kicked out at substitute Trevor Poiret and he had to walk off in the 94th minute.
The two sending-offs upset Côte d’Or coach Ahmed Abdou who complained of the level of officiating which he felt cost them the match.
“We were slow to get into the match but pushed them really hard in the second half but I’m not happy with the officiating as some of his decisions were questionable,” reflected coach Abdou after the match.

As for St Michel manager Andrew Jean-Louis, he was just relieved that his team survived a tough second half to reach the final.

“We started well and I felt we were denied a penalty in the first half to go 2-0 up. But in the second period, we struggled especially when Karl was sent off as our play centred around him. But the important thing was to make it to the final and now we will re-group to prepare for the final,” the St Michel manager said.
The Airtel Cup final is to be played next month though the Seychelles Football Federation is yet to set a date.

R. J-L.