FC Fassell and Proxy SC ended their international friendly with a 1 all draw at Jewel Sports Park in Cairo on September 3.
The match saw the Soccer Missionaries take an 80th-minute lead following a well-executed play. Vitalis Sie, Junior, stationed at left back, made a precise long pass to Tonia Tisdell. Tisdell then launched a ball into Proxy’s penalty area, but it was intercepted by Robin Hney. Hney’s skillful play drew a foul from Belal in the danger zone, leading to a penalty. Captain Zah Rahan Kranger converted the spot kick, sending the ball breeze past Proxy’s goalkeeper, Goma.
Proxy SC, who finished eighth in the Second Division Two (A) last season with seven wins, eight draws, and four losses, equalized in the 86th minute. A well-angled shot from Messi forced a remarkable save from Fassell’s magic hand, Ahmed Tijan Savage, who managed to deflect it for a corner. Moments later, Belal made amends for his earlier mistake by heading in the equalizer, catching Fassell’s defense off guard.
This friendly was Fassell’s fifth of their pre-season campaign. Earlier matches included a 1-all draw against Zanzibar’s Jeshi Kujenga Uchumi Sports Club on August 22, a 2-all draw with Iraq’s Al Shorta Sports Club on August 27, and a 3-0 victory over Egypt’s AS Raja on August 31. However, they suffered a 5-0 humiliating defeat to Egypt’s Al Shams Sports Club on September 1.
Fassell’s head coach, Ivan Minnaert, expressed mixed feelings about his team’s performance. “We had good possession and created chances, but we conceded a late goal due to a lapse in concentration. The late equalizer was more about our defensive lapse than the goalkeeper’s fault. We need to improve our accuracy in the final pass and maintain concentration throughout the match,” said Minnaert.
When asked about settling on a starting eleven for the season, Minnaert noted, “We still have players who are not here, such as Terry Sackor on national duty and Edwin Johnson, who was injured enroute to Egypt. With 20-22 players vying for spots, we haven’t finalized our first team yet.”
Proxy SC’s performance analyst, Mazon Magdy, praised both teams, highlighting standout performances. “It was a good game with strong performances from both sides. I believe Fassell will do well in the league this season and may even qualify for the African Cup in the near future. Some of your players have the skills to play in Europe, though age might be a factor for Zah Rahan Kranger,” Magdy remarked.
