League Play-Off

Sardis Stadium
Spectators: 34 (Terracing: 26, Seating: 8, VIP seats: 0) Dark clouds were building up when the players entered the field. None of the them looked very eager to play. Mehdi Ouadah started the match with the kick off. Rachid Matmour received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 2nd minute. Lakhdar Sad tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. In the 6th minute, Ali Bouzid got an opportunity to score, but he didn't get a solid hit on the ball and ended up kicking it wide of the goal. Kamel Iles made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Mehdi Ouadah in the 8th minute of play. An unexpectedly hard shot by Rachid Matmour in the 10th minute of play forced Santaquin AFC's goalkeeper Lakhdar Sad to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. Ali Bouzid might have been able to make a better finish in the 11th minute when he tried to place a hard shot over Kamel Iles. Instead the ball went over the crossbar and out. Ali Bouzid ran back to his position shaking his head. Mehdi Ouadah received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 14th minute. Kamel Iles tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. With a little luck, Santaquin AFC's Lakhdar Sad got control of the ball when Djamel Banouas tried to sneak it across the goal line. Lakhdar Sad made a fantastic save in the 22nd minute, when Djamel Banouas sent off a good shot on target. 23 minutes into the match, Santaquin AFC's goal looked a bit too open when Rachid Matmour came free, but Lakhdar Sad reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. After some fancy dribbling in the 28th minute, Mehdi Ouadah managed to get in a good position for a shot. Santaquin AFC's supporters rose to their feet, but Mehdi Ouadah was a bit off balance and shot the ball just wide of the left post. Kamel Iles breathed a sigh of relief and went to take the goal kick. Smail Zidane charged in rather forcefully in the 29th minute of the match, and managed to knock his opponent down. The referee showed Smail Zidane the yellow card, and asked the players to shake hands before continuing play. 31 minutes into the game, Leon Ibrir was given a yellow card after he appeared to trip an opposing player. Sardis's manager was livid on the sidelines, but the referee was unmoved and gave Santaquin AFC the free kick. A collision led to Sardis getting a freekick after 31 minutes play. Leon Ibrir hit a great ball. When Ahmed Ben Bella fell near the penalty area in the 33rd minute he thought he would be awarded a free kick. The referee ignored Sardis's protests and gave Ahmed Ben Bella a yellow card for diving instead. After 33 played minutes Sardis got a freekick which was hit by Ahmed Ben Bella. Said Djamel, 33 minutes into the match, dribbled the ball up the side of the field and decided to take a long shot at the goal. Unfortunately, the ball was poorly hit and landed closer to the corner than to the goal. When the match clock showed 35 minutes, the score became 0-1 when Maïssa Matmour sped through Sardis's defense and sent away a curving shot that went into the net to the right of Kamel Iles. Farès Nabil's late challenge caught a Santaquin AFC's player on the shin and left him crawling around in pain. The referee blew his whistle and produced the yellow card. Farès Nabil helped the player get up and apologised. In the 40th minute, Farès Nabil hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. If Ali Bouzid had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 41st minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. In the 42nd minute Mehdi Ouadah shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Kamel Iles saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. Luck had favoured the away team in the first, and they walked off with a 0-1 lead.

Mehdi Ouadah sent away a hard shot on goal in the 53rd minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. 58 minutes into the match, Ali Bouzid had an open shot that he just couldn't miss and scored to the right of Kamel Iles. Sardis's manager could be seen yelling to the referee that Ali Bouzid was offside, but the referee ignored the protest. 0-2. Farès Nabil's shot was meant for the net just under the crossbar, but Lakhdar Sad read the situation well and was quickly in position to make a wonderful save in the 67th minute of play. In the 68th minute, Ali Bouzid fired away a shot on goal. He put a little to much spin on the ball and sent it just wide of the right post. The supporters of Sardis booed when Santaquin AFC was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 71 match minutes in a wonderful position. Maïssa Matmour didn't get a good kick on the ball. In the 73rd minute Djamel Banouas shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Lakhdar Sad saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. In the 75th minute, Djamel Banouas left the goalkeeper for dead before tapping the ball into the right side of the net. The Sardis fans were clearly happy with the effort and the scoreboard reflected the new score: 1-2. In the 79th minute Rachid Matmour shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Lakhdar Sad saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. Djamel Banouas recieved an excellent pass in front of the goal in the 81st minute. Unfortunately, he received the ball on his off foot and could only manage a weak shot that went over the goal. Rachid Matmour sent away a hard shot on goal in the 82nd minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. Santaquin AFC's Lakhdar Sad played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Farès Nabil in the 87th minute of play. 90 minutes into the match, Santaquin AFC's goal looked a bit too open when Djamel Banouas came free, but Lakhdar Sad reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. After 91 played minutes Sardis got a freekick which was hit by Dida Rahouli. Thanks to some nice foot action and superb ball handling Mehdi Ouadah in the 92nd minute a chance for a shot on goal. With an extended leg and a bit of luck Kamel Iles prevented the ball from getting in the gole.