By Mohamed Jaward Nyallay
When East End Lions missed that last penalty kick, that was it. Kamboi Eagles became the first champion of the Independence Day trophy. But this did not just happen; this was not meant to happen. They knocked out two of the biggest teams - FC Kallon and East End Lions - in the country on their way to the title podium.
This was not a mere stroke of luck. This was achieved through sheer hard work and guts.
If you are in the Premier League, then brace up! Because from now on, this is a sign of what is about to come from the Eagles.
Forget how they got drafted in to this competition in the first place. One of the organizers, Junior Bio, told Politico that they had to ballot and decide which team from the regions will join the power houses of football in Freetown.
“We took into consideration the stature of FC Kallon, Lions and Blackpool and decided that we need a team from the region to balance the competition. We made a ballot and Kenema were fortunate,” he said.
This is how The Eagles got here.
How did they get here?
Before the start of this gala the team manager of Eagles Ali El Ali aka Aliloma said this tournament will be the springboard for their title challenge.
“We want to win this trophy and send a message to all the teams for the second leg. Once we win this competition we will push on and win the premier league,” Aliloma told Politico.
I watched Kamboi Eagles on match day one in the Premier League in Kenema. They were playing Diamond Stars; it’s the Derby of the East and the atmosphere was electric. Diamond Stars were a better side throughout the match, then they scored. But that game came to a halt for twenty minutes after the referee awarded the Eagles a very controversial goal. I seriously doubted the ability of the Kamboi Eagles team to do well in the league, until when they went to Lungi and won 2-1. That was the start of their season.
Before you know it, the Eagles were known as the ‘Away Kings’. They won more points away from home than any regional team. Away from home they only dropped points against FC Kallon and Anti-Drugs.
The only irony of their form is that they haven’t won a single match at home. This has surprised many. Their coach once told me in an interview that dealing with the pressure away is different.
“When we play away there is no pressure, we play with so much freedom,” Alhaji Foray said.
And there is no place where Kamboi Eagles have enjoyed more freedom like Freetown. They won 10 points in the capital; this is more than what they won at home in six games.
Kamboi Eagles have always been the outsiders; very few people took them seriously before the start of the Premier League. That has been very helpful for them because psychologically they are not under any pressure to perform.
Their job in the second leg
The Eagles are sixth in the table, with just six points behind leaders East End Lions. One would wonder if things had been a little different with their home form what would have been the case. Had they won easy matches against RSLAF and FCFC or even had the ref not wrongly disallowed their goal for offside at home to Lions, this could have been Kamboi Eagles on top of the league by the break.
But they have a chance now to reset the clock. This is not to say other teams might just sit there and watch them do so.
Kamboi Eagles just won the first silverware of the season. With the trophy goes a Le100million-price money and a bragging right. To put this into context you have to understand that East End Lions have not lost a single game yet this season, so this loss is painful.
Granted, this is not the premier league and Lions did not lose in normal time but it is still a loss. Psychologically this is a major boost for the Eagles.
Kamboi Eagles defeated FC Kallon to get to the final. For FC Kallon this shows they haven’t regained their momentum and this might hurt them in the title race.
Eagles still don’t have anything against Ports Authority, and Central Parade are as stubborn as they come. No one is saying the Eagles’ job is going to be easy but this is the picture.
Kamboi Eagles have shown everyone that they are fearless. This team has been forged with grit, resilience and a sprinkle of stubbornness.
To win the title will not be easy, but it is in their sight. They must also note that teams are not going to treat them with kid gloves anymore. If the first leg was their honeymoon period, then it’s over.
With all this, if Kamboi Eagles are about to take off from where they left, then they just have one job; that is to start winning at home.
(c) 2019 Politico Online
