Sadomba rescues Al Hilal

Confederation Cup mini-league campaign with a 2-1 triumph over another Sudanese opponent Al Shandi maintained pole position in the group after coming from behind to draw 1-1 with their biggest group rivals Merreikh.
In another group match, Al Shandi, considered the weakest of the Group A teams, handed Angolan outfit InterClube a surprise 1-0 defeat in Luanda to remain in third place.
InterClube, who knocked Zimbabwe champions Dynamos from this tournament, are the only team in the group still to pick a point.
That the Angolans are finding it tough in the Confederation Cup group stage actually puts into perspective the decline that Dynamos have undergone over the last two seasons.
For a team that had become accustomed to reaching the Champions League group stages and became good enough to be seeded by the Confederation of African Football, the Harare giants have really fallen in the continental game.
That a team which bundled them out of the Confederation Cup is still without a goal nor a point in the group stage mirrors the slide that Dynamos and the domestic game at large has undergone.
But it is Sadomba, the last of the Zimbabweans standing, in Africa’s second tier club competition who hogged the limelight with a 48th minute goal from about 30 metres that was described by Sudanese journalist Babiker Osman as a wonder strike.
After Dynamos and Sunday “Mhofu’’ Chidzambwa’s Black Leopards were knocked out in the third round play-off of the tournament, it is only Sadomba, winner of the Champions League Golden Boot award last year,  who is still flying the Zimbabwean flag, albeit for Al Hilal’s interests.
“It was a lovely goal from Sadomba to cancel out Kelechi’s goal for Merreikh but it was a great game and both sides had chances to win it late on,’’ Osman said.
Al Hilal were the home team in the massive derby played before an estimated 25 000 fans who packed the Al Hilal Stadium.
According to reports from Omdurman Al Hilal were grateful for Sadomba’s equaliser, which cancelled out an earlier strike by El Merreikh’s Nigerian striker Kelechi Osunwa, a minute before the break.
It was El Merreikh, who got off to a strong start in a tense derby on Match Day Two of the Confederation Cup Group A fixtures with the visitors’ Zambian striker Jonas Sakuwaha going close to finding an opener after a fine cross from veteran captain Faisal Al-Ajab.
Al-Hilal then had their chance after a mistake at the back allowed Senegalese striker Ibrahima Sane through but he could not beat veteran Egyptian veteran goalkeeper Esam Al-Hadary.
The home side then began to dominate play with their four strikers, Ibrahima Sane, Mudathir Careca and Sadomba supported by Mohammad Al-Tahir causing all sorts of problems for Merreikh who were reduced to 10 men early on the first half following the expulsion of Sudanese international midfielder Badreldin Galag for a second bookable offence in the 20th minute.
Once they had been decimated by Galg’s expulsion, the Merreikh defence led by Ivorian centre back Pascal Wawa had to contend with everything that Sadomba and company threw at them.
Just three minutes into the second half, Al Hadary and his defence capitulated to the Sadomba strike when the Zimbabwean international received a chipped pass from Nazr Ahmed and fired home a volley from about 30 metres out.
An elated Sadomba later described the goal that saved his team from defeat as his best.
“I want to thank God for the beautiful goal I scored on Saturday night. I have scored many goals before but this one was made in heaven . . . Glory be to God.
“Even their goalkeeper Hadary came to me after the match and congratulated me and told me that it was a great goal which he had tried to dive to but could not stop it,’’ Sadomba said.
Sadomba said although they had been restricted to a draw at home, they were still satisfied with the point they gained which ensured they remained top of the Group A standings with four points.
Hilal and Merreikh both have four points but the Blue sharks have a superior goal difference.
Saturday’s night’s second half equaliser was also Sadomba’s 15th goal of the season for Al Hilal in all competitions.
The Blue Sharks are also enjoying a six-point lead over Merreikh in the championship race with nine matches remaining and have reached the semi-finals of the Sudanese Cup.
“As players we have set ourselves a target of reaching the Confederation Cup final and possibly win the cup after twice reaching the Champions League semi-finals. We are actually eyeing a treble which would be the league and Cup in Sudan as well as the Confederation                    Cup because we have a strong feeling that this is our season.
“Saturday’s match was a balanced game, it was a typical derby, and both sides were also often cautious. The good thing is that we collected a point in the group because with group games it is all about collecting points.
“I also want to pay special tribute to our fans who stuck with us even when we were a goal down and their support really motivated and inspired us to keep on fighting. Our supporters do not like to lose to Merreikh and it would have been a huge disappointment for them if we had lost that game.
“We are now looking forward to our next assignment against InterClube in Angola on September 1. We were there last year when we played against Recreativo in the Champions League and we know what to expect in Luanda but we are confident we can get something out of it,’’ Sadomba said.