MH Oranje FC finish runner-up in Mumbai Premier League

by FC May 7, 2024

Aimar Adam’s second-half brace secures MH Oranje FC a 2-0 win over MIllat as they finish Runner-Up of Mumbai Premier League 2023-24 season.

In a closely contested match in the MFA Premier League, Millat FC and MH Oranje FC faced off in their final game of the season. With both teams looking to secure a top-three finish, the stakes were high.

Millat FC entered the match with 27 points after 13 games, placing them in fourth on the league table. MH Oranje FC, on the other hand, had 29 points from the same number of games, sitting just one spot above in third place. A victory for either team would solidify their standing in the MFA Premier League 2023-24. Thanks to a brilliant second-half performance by Aimar Adam, MH Oranje FC clinched a 2-0 win, guaranteeing them the runner-up spot in the league.

MH Oranje FC set the tone from the opening whistle. Within the first minute, they pressed forward, showcasing their aggressive intent. After a quick series of passes in the midfield, captain Jayesh Kurup executed a perfect switch to the right flank, where Sahil Bhokare made a move past his defender and delivered a dangerous cross into the box. Unfortunately, the header that followed missed the mark, sailing wide. Millat FC responded quickly. At the 10-minute mark, Owais Khatib orchestrated a chance from the left wing, demonstrating impressive dribbling skills as he danced through defenders and whipped in a low cross towards the far post. However, Dishant Chavan’s quick reaction kept the ball from reaching Sunny Koli, denying Millat FC .

Aimar Adam's second-half brace secures MH Oranje FC a 2-0 win over MIllat as they finish Runner-Up of Mumbai Premier League 2023-24 season. — **Yogesh Kadam & Zaid Ansari in action**

MH Oranje FC upped the intensity with two menacing chances in quick succession. In the 20th minute, a quick interplay on the right flank between Sahil Bhokare and Aashish Lalge set the stage for a dangerous attack. Lalge directed the ball to Jayesh Kurup, who quickly passed it to Aimar Adam. Aimar created space with a wide touch to evade his marker and then unleashed a powerful shot from 20 yards. The ball narrowly missed, just grazing over the crossbar. However, Aimar wasn’t done yet. Just two minutes later, he orchestrated another threatening play by threading a precise through-ball to Miit Adekar on the left wing. Miit delivered a pinpoint cross to the far post, where Yogesh Kadam was waiting. Kadam directed his header towards Sanchit Singh in the box, who cleverly rolled it to Aimar. Aimar’s half-volley attempt, however, went over the bar.

Zaid Ansari responded strongly in the 26th minute when Millat FC won a corner. After MH Oranje FC’s defense cleared the ball, Zaid, positioned about 25 yards out, unleashed a powerful shot that rattled off the woodwork, nearly breaking the deadlock. Later in the first half, Aimar Adam and Sanchit Singh combined to create another dangerous opportunity for MH Oranje FC. Aimar’s swift dribble into the box set up Sanchit for a potential goal, but his shot just missed the target.

The first half ended with both teams creating chances but failing to convert, leaving the score at 0-0. Despite the opportunities, the deadlock remained intact.

Duane D’Souza, Millat FC’s top scorer, nearly broke the deadlock just two minutes into the second half. After receiving a bouncing pass outside the box, he unleashed a belter shot that narrowly missed, grazing the outside of the post.

MH Oranje FC launched a barrage of attacks within just five minutes, turning up the heat against Millat FC. In the 53rd minute, Aimar Adam finally found his well-deserved goal after missing opportunities in the first half. The play started with a quick transition from defense to attack, as Pratik Jadhav threw the ball directly to Sahil Bhokare. Sahil switched the play to the left wing, where Yogesh Kadam was marked by a defender. Kadam calmly passed to Aimar Adam, who was waiting at around 25 yards from goal. Aimar unleashed an absolute screamer that rocketed into the top left corner, leaving the goalkeeper, Piyush, with no chance to react.

Just two minutes later, MH Oranje FC pressed again. After an initial clearance from Noel Dias, Sanchit Singh received the ball on the right wing and squared it off to Aimar, who was positioned just outside the box. Aimar fired another powerful shot, but Zaid Ansari managed to deflect it, keeping Millat FC’s hopes alive.

In the 65th minute, Millat FC’s Alok Chauhan came close to leveling the score. Nachiket Palav delivered a perfectly placed free-kick into the box, where Alok’s towering header narrowly missed the target, grazing the post as it went wide. Millat FC continued to apply pressure, with a quick corner leading to another threatening opportunity. Zaid Ansari received the ball just outside the box and passed to Pawan, who had a clear line of sight to the goal. Pawan attempted a curling shot, but it sailed just wide, missing the left post by inches.

In the 82nd minute, Aimar Adam’s strike appeared to dash Millat FC’s hopes. Winning the ball on the right wing in Millat’s half, Aimar quickly passed to Sanchit, creating a one-two play. After receiving the return pass just outside the box, Aimar controlled the ball with a deft touch, outmaneuvered a defender, and slotted it into the bottom-left corner, leaving the goalkeeper with no chance.

In the 88th minute, Millat FC was awarded a late penalty, giving them a golden opportunity to equalize. Duane D’Souza stepped up to take the spot kick, aiming to level the score, but Pratik Jadhav had other plans. Reading the shot perfectly, Pratik dove to his left to make a brilliant save, preserving MH Oranje FC’s lead. As the game approached its final moments, MH Oranje FC’s Sahil, Miit, and Sanchit created one last chance to solidify their lead. Sahil weaved through 2-3 players with ease before passing to Miit on the left flank. Miit delivered a pin-point cross into the box, setting up Sanchit Singh for a spectacular bicycle kick. Despite the audacious attempt, the ball sailed just wide of the post, leaving the final score at 2-0 in favor of MH Oranje FC.

With the final whistle, MH Oranje FC emphatically secured their Runner-Up spot in the MFA Premier League 2023-24, thanks to a thrilling 2-0 victory over Millat FC. The second half saw complete dominance by MH Oranje FC, with a remarkable brace from Aimar Adam igniting the team’s morale. The success was further underscored by Pratik Jadhav’s impressive penalty save in the late stages, ensuring the victory and preserving his clean sheet.MH Oranje FC’s attacking prowess was on full display, with the team achieving the highest goal tally in this season, scoring 50 goals in total. The well-deserved Runner-Up finish is a significant achievement for the team and a strong foundation for future campaigns.