THE Kashif and Shanghai Organisation could not have asked for a better start to its 25th football tournament which got on the way on Friday night at the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) ground. In the first game of the double-header card Riddim Squad edged New Amsterdam United 2-0 in extra time. In the second, Georgetown Football Club (GFC) overcame Den Amstel 2-1 on penalty kicks after the two sides ended regulation and extra time 2-2.

After the gala opening ceremony, football fans were entertained by fantastic football by the two clubs who, over the last year, have developed a rivalry between them but it’s GFC who always seem to come out on top.
With their goalkeeper and an outfield player picking up injuries in the first half of extra time, GFC had to play with nine men but their stubborn defending was able to keep Den Amstel at bay.
Coach Faizal Khan was forced to put midfielder Dennis Edwards between the uprights and his move paid off for GFC.
Up first to kick was GFC’s Keron Solomon and easily converted his penalty, putting his side up 1-0 and it remained the same after Den Amstel’s Delon Lanferman was denied by Edwards.
Delon Cadogan failed to put his side in full command after sending his shot over the crossbar but thanks to another miss by Den Amstel, the score remained 1-0 in favour of GFC.
GFC again missed (Eon Smith saved by Ryan Hunte) and this time around Den Amstel through Hunte equalled the score 1-1.
Edwards saved back-to-back shots by Den Amstel. A conversion by GFC enabled the Bourda-based club to face the winner between Alpha United and Agricola Red Triangle in the semi-finals.
In the initial stages of the contest, Kurd Johnson scored just two minutes into the game but in the 16th minute, Lanferman equalised for Den Amstel.
But, Johnson scored his second goal of the game in the 38th minute to put GFC back in the lead. Not to be outdone, the ‘West Side’ club again equalised when Jamal Harvey scored a rocket just inside the 18-yard area.

By Rawle Toney