3.02.2012
Football West News
Last weekend's 2012 Perth African Nations (PAN) Cup action saw four teams faced off to determine who would take out the coveted cup with defending champions South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and newcomers Nigeria the last remaining teams, all unbeaten to that stage and all with strikers in with a chance of winning the golden boot.
Perth was treated to a great spectacle of football skills and a free-flowing style of game from some of Perth's culturally diverse population with many goals scored and many memorable moments. Thousands of spectators and supporters took advantage of the free admission and the great atmosphere through the tournament.
Last Sunday saw both of Saturday's winners (DR Congo and Nigeria) play off for the championship and the losers to play off for third place. The South Sudan team forfeited the third-place final against Uganda, citing player injuries and suspensions.
The crowd for the final hit around 600 for the 7pm kick-off under Hartfield Park's lights and with the only first-half goal, Nigeria knew it needed to score a second time to defeat the hungry DR Congo team.
Both defences were strong for the first two-thirds of the match, but in the second half it wasn't long before DR Congo scored their first goal for the night to bring the match and the crowd to life.
An intense midfield battle was the story early on in the second half with DR Congo taking its time to get the upper-hand.
The exciting Joseph Wilonja, who had been stifled well by the wall of Nigerian defence in the first half, managed two goals in a short space of time, keeping alive his hopes of winning the golden boot and putting his team ahead.
The momentum firmly shifted in the last 20 minutes and DR Congo was 4-1 up when the final whistle sounded there were celebrations for around 15 minutes before tournament organisers managed to draw the team to the presentation area.
DR Congo's Moses Kalau, just 16 and rumoured to be in the eye of foreign scouts, was awarded player of the tournament, with Uganda's David Kai winning the golden boot with 11 tournament goals, two more than his brother Lam Gai.
Egypt was awarded the Community Spirit Award for the spirit and effort it brought to its on-field and off-field conduct, for the second year in a row.
It was a tournament of firsts; the first time two federal parliamentarians and a state MP have been part of such a WA football event, the first time for a full quota of 16 PAN Cup teams plus a waiting list, the first time for this tournament under lights and a first win for DR Congo.
More information about the tournament is available from http://www.footballwest.com.au/community/cald/
