By: Oluwapamilerin Micheal
It was all drama at the old SUB pitch as KHE took on WPE in a tense, hard-fought encounter that had everything from missed chances to penalty shootout heroics. The game kicked off at exactly 2:53pm, with WPE starting proceedings.Right from the start, WPE looked hungry. They dominated the early minutes, trying to shake KHE’s defense, but KHE stood firm. At the 7-minute mark, KHE won a corner and swung it into the box, but WPE’s defense was alert and cleared well, setting up a counter.Just a minute later, WPE won a freekick from a foul but couldn’t capitalize. Both teams traded chances with long shots, throw-ins, and freekicks, but either the ball went over the bar or was stopped by some sharp goalkeeping.
KHE had a handful of solid chances. One from a midfield ball in the 11th minute and another in the 14th both flew over the bar. They looked like they might take the lead in the 13th, but the WPE keeper stepped up. Roxy’s freekick in the 19th and a handball freekick in the 23rd also ended with the WPE keeper collecting the ball calmly.
By the 30th minute, it was still goalless despite Moriz attempting a flashy bicycle kick off a corner. The first half ended with neither team able to break the deadlock.Second half kicked off at 3:36pm, and WPE came out strong. The opening minutes were played entirely in KHE’s half as WPE tried to find an early goal. A close miss in the 6th minute nearly gave them the lead.Things got heated in the 8th minute when a WPE player tackled KHE’s last man, sparking calls for a red card. The ref gave a yellow and a freekick instead. Again, the WPE keeper made the save.
Both sides kept pushing. WPE hit the bar off a corner in the 16th minute. KHE thought they’d scored in the 20th after Mysterio tucked it in, but the offside flag was up. More freekicks and more missed chances followed. This was turning into a war of nerves.The game went straight into a penalty shootout.
Tomiwa stepped up first for KHE and calmly slotted it home. WPE’s first effort was saved, giving KHE the early advantage. The second round saw both sides score, but in the third, Brazil missed for KHE and Mjay ballooned his for WPE. It remained 2-1.KHE converted their fourth, and WPE kept up. The fifth saw KHE miss and WPE draw level at 3-3. The pressure built. Both teams missed in the sixth round. In the seventh and eighth, they both converted again, refusing to blink. But in the ninth round, KHE held their nerve and scored, while WPE’s final kick was saved.Final score: KHE 0–0 WPE (KHE win 5–4 on penalties).
A game full of grit, chances, and tension ended with KHE emerging victorious after a marathon shootout. Despite making three big saves in the shootout, the WPE goalkeeper was let down by his teammates, who sent the ball flying over the bar three times. In the end, it was KHE who held their nerve when it mattered most and now move on to the next round, battle-tested and buzzing.
