One weekend, three games, Worldwide. All the information.
During the mid-week we all saw the 0:0 draw between Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid, in what was a great chance to take a nap. In order to put things right, BabaGol is taking you to three matches that have a bit more than that match. For a bit of European football we will go to Moldova, for a taste of the Champions League we’ll sail to Oceania and for a hot derby we will ride our camels to Jordan. It’s time to wake up!
(All times are in CET local time)
Friday, 15:00, Dacia Chișinău – Sheriff Tiraspol (Moldovan Divizia Națională)
On Friday, the two biggest clubs of Moldova will play each other. When Dacia Chișinău and Sheriff Tiraspol are about to meet it is more than a simple football rivalry. This match is the clash between Chișinău, the capital of Moldova, and Tiraspol, the capital of separatist Transistria.
Dacia Chișinău became the strongest team in the city 10 years ago, after their city rivals, Zimbru, didn't manage to repeat their achievements from the early days of Moldovan football. They usually finish in the top places of the league, but apart from one title in 2013, they fail against the eternal champions of the league, Sheriff Tiraspol. This season they are in 2nd place, just 1 point behind the surprise leader, Milsami Orhei. The leading players are David Siradze, the veteran Georgian player who has played in Germany, Jaba Dvali, another Gerogian who has won titles in his home nation and Azerbaijan, and Petru Leucă, the team’s leading scorer with 6 goals.
The story of Sheriff Tiraspol is much more complicated. Tiraspol is the capital of Transistria, a region with a Slavic majority, unlike the rest of Moldova, where there is a Romanian majority. Transistria claims independence, but is still not recognized by any nation. The club’s name is derived from the Sheriff Company, which was formed by Victor Gușan, the club’s president. As well as the team, their holdings include a TV station, a chain of petrol stations, many factories and some small companies. It's also claimed that the company actually governs Transistria, being run mafia-style, and is used to launder money. The team have won the last 13 out of 14 titles, and this season they are in 3rd place, on equal points with Dacia, but behind them due to their head-to-head results. Look out for Ricardinho, the league’s top scorer with 16 goals, Vadim Paireli, who is an under-21 national starlet, and Juninho Potiguar, who joined the team last season and has already scored 17 goals in 29 matches.
This game is a ‘once in a lifetime’ chance for a title for Dacia. Can they do it? Or will it be another one for Sheriff?
Saturday, 09:00, Amicale – Auckland City (OFC Champions League)
BabaGol is returning to one of its favourite clubs, our friends from Vanuatu, Amicale FC. The OFC Champions League group stage is played in a neutral venue in Suva, Fiji. The three group winners, along with the best runner-ups, will qualify for the semi-finals. The decisive match for Amicale will once again be against the New Zealand and Oceania Champions, Auckland City.
After the disaster of Cyclone Pam, Amicale will try to give the people of Vanuatu something to be happy about. Amicale won their first two matches against local teams Suva and Western United from the Solomon Islands, and want to qualify for the next stage and go one step further than last year and win the title. In the domestic league, they have won 5 consecutive titles and they are well on the way to the 6th. Look out for Osea Vakatalesau, who scored 2 goals in the tournament, Alphonse Bongnaim, who has played 11 times for Vanuatu national team, and Rijat Shala, a Swiss-Kosovan player who was one of the biggest stars of the U-21 team in 2006, but since then has played in Albania and the lower divisions in Italy.
Auckland City started the tournament in the same way. They also won twice in their first two matches, but a better goal difference put them in the top spot of the group, so a draw will be enough for qualification. They have won the title for the past 4 seasons and their semi-final appearance in FIFA Club World Cup makes them keen to win it once again. Their key players are Ivan Vicelich, who has won 88 caps for the New Zealand national team, Iván Carril, who arrived in January and has already scored 4 goals in 6 league matches, David Browne, a 19 year-old hot prospect from Papua New Guinea, and Marko Đorđević, who won the last season’s Vanuatu championship with Amicale.
Even though the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals are being played again in this week, trust me – the repeat of last season OFC Champions League final will be much more exciting.
Sunday, 18:00, Al Faisaly – Al Wehdat (Jordan Premier League)
Big Arab rivalries always produce great matches and for this very reason, we are going to Jordan. Sunday's "Derby of Jordan" which is being played in the capital Amman, has some strong nationalist characteristics. We already talked about the rivalry between Jordan and Palestine, which is also the main issue of this game. Al Faisaly represents the local nationalist Jordanians, while Al Wehdat represents the Palestinian refugees.
Al Faisaly is the strongest club in Jordanian football history. They have won 32 championships, 17 cups and two AFC Cups. This season, the team is far from being one of the greatest in the club’s history. With four wins and nine draws, they are in 8th place, just 5 points above the relegation spots. In addition, they have scored just 10 goals and have the worst attack in the league. The coach is Mohamed Azima, a retired Egyptian player who played in Germany for years. The team's main players are Hani Al Taiar, a key player in the U-17 Syrian national team’s appearance at the 2007 U-17 World Cup, Jean Michel N'Lend, who arrived at the club after 3 years with Al Shorta in Iraq, Baha' Abdel-Rahman, who has played 72 times for Jordan national team, and Mohammad Shatnawi, one of the greatest goalkeepers in Jordan.
Al Wehdat has always been behind Al Faisaly, but they have made a lot of progress in recent seasons. Last season they won their 13th title and this season they are close to winning another one, as they lead by 7 points with 4 matches left. The team is based in Amman New Camp, known locally as Wehdat, which was established in 1955 for Palestinian refugees and today is one of the biggest refugee camps in Jordan, with 51,000 registered refugees. The coach, Abdullah Abu Zema, was an Al Wehdat player for 12 years. The biggest names in the team are Amer Shafi, the most capped player in the Jordan national team’s history with 110 caps, Abdelatif Bahdari, who was born in Gaza and plays for the Palestine national team, and Mahmoud Za'tara, a Jordanian-Palestinian who is considered to be one of the biggest hopes of Jordanian football.
Like in our previous visits to the Middle East, you can feel the passion in this match. Nationalism, local prestige and title aspirations. You just couldn't ask for more, could you?