Football: Friendly match - Win for Seychelles’ young national team |14 February 2018

Seychelles’ young footballers made the most of their pace and endurance in a friendly match against Promedilnik SC from Germany on Monday as they beat the veteran side 3-1.

The country’s under-20 team faced off against the visitors at Stad Linite on Monday evening and this affair seemed a forgone conclusion from the very beginning as the young Seychellois had more pace and endurance.

With a 4-4-2 formation and performing well early, the Seychelles team attempted several shots on the opponents’ goal. Using their pace to their advantage, the team quickly got the upper hand and they created their first scoring opportunity in the 8th minute but a header flew wide.

However, it did not take long before they turned another opportunity into goal when Rino Pauline’s shot beat the German team’s goalkeeper and rolled into the goal in the 9th minute.

After missing the target on a number of occasions despite their dominance, the young team went 2-0 up. After a German defender lost the ball, winger Calvin Ah-Kon received a pass from midfield and he planted it into the back of the net.

At this point the German team realised they were struggling and started playing more physically. In the 38th minute, they won a free-kick some 10 metres away from the penalty area and the fierce shot was deflected off the crossbar by the under-20 team goalkeeper Julio Marie. At last a show of light for the German team.

The under-20 national team came out from the break just as enthusiastic, hitting shot after shot on the German keeper while Seychellois goalkeeper was not called into action for the first 25 minutes in the second period.

His first real save came in the 70th minute when he pushed the ball into corner following a shot after a German team player had cut through the Seychelles defence. The Germans did score from the resultant corner which was perfectly headed home to bring the score to 1-2.

The young national team did not take this sitting down as they decided to look for another goal for a two-goal cushion. Following a time-out called in the 30th minute, the under-20 national team coach Jason Denise made five changes to the squad and this brought a boost of energy to the squad and it was not surprising to see substitute Harim Evenor chip the ball into the net past the German goalkeeper in the 78th minute for a 3-1 score.

The German team seemed discouraged after this third goal and didn’t put in as much effort to get back those two goals. However, they did receive an opportunity in the 86th minute to cut the deficit to just one goal after winning a free kick, but the team’s effort was saved by young goalkeeper Julio Marie as the game ended 3-1.

This was a great practice session for the young team at the beginning of the year as they have many international challenges ahead of them during the course of the year.

Coach Jason Denise will surely use the experience gathered to build his team for their future missions.

Rodney Rose