Sony Norde, the Haitian forward of Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club, was at the center of all conversation as the wily scorer rose to the occasion before being carried off with a knee injury at the Bangabandu National Stadium yesterday.
The skilled forward was in action from the very beginning on the left flank, making life difficult for the opposition defence. His dash, dribbling and control was a delight to watch and his double strike also showed his brilliance. He beat three defenders before sending the ball into the near post with a cracking shot for his first and later outfoxed Mohammedan goalie Mamun Khan, as he changed his mind about which direction to shoot and left Mamun clueless.
Mohammedan’s acting coach Jewel Rana and Mamun Khan appeared at the post-match presser and acknowledged the “Sony Factor”. “Maybe my defence was a little shaky about restricting Sony Norde. I always told my defence not to allow space to him inside the box but he is intelligent and made his way through,” said Jewel.
However Sony Norde was not there to celebrate his team’s success. Her was deliberately hit on the knee by Mohammedan’s Nigerian midfielder Sisan Idow in the 60th minute and had to be taken to hospital for an x-ray. The incident infuriated Jamal coach Josef Afusi and he was sent off the field by referee Tayed Hasan. “I am not a referee and as a coach, I am not entitled to comment on refereeing. However, I would like to request the referees association and the BFF to see the DVD of the match and see whether it was red card offence or not,” said Afusi.
Later, Jamal officials said that medical reports indicated Sony had not sustained any serious injury and he will play in the next match.
