⚽ First Division, Match Day 7
📅 Saturday, May 10, 2025
📍 Humaid Al-Tayer Stadium, Dubai, UAE
In the 7th round of the First Division, Banaat FC hosted Mubadara at Humaid Al-Tayer Stadium. This week, our bench was limited with five players away on national team duty.
The match kicked off with intensity and physicality, as both sides showcased their high level of competition from the start.
The momentum shifted in favour of Mubadara, after a physical challenge in our box led the referee to award a penalty kick to the opposing side. Their number 10, Sabrine Mamay, stepped up but sent it wide of the goal.
Moments later, a miscommunication and a miscued back pass in our box gave Mubadara the lead.
Despite going 1-0 down, we kept the pressure on and pushed forward in search of an equalizer. After back-to-back corners, a handball was called in the Mubadara box. Midfielder Mel Hoekstra stepped up and buried the penalty into the top left corner, making it 1-1 at the break.
The second half continued with intensity, as we stayed strong in defense, winning our 50/50 battles in midfield and at the back. Despite the pressure, our defense held firm, and in attack, striker Manela Donyoh put us ahead with a header off a corner from assist-specialist Angelina Bouhatoum.
With the game entering the final minutes and us leading 2-1, Mubadara pushed forward. A free kick into our box led to a scramble, and they capitalized on a mistake to equalize late in the game.
Although the match ended in a 2-2 draw, it felt more like a loss after holding the lead for most of the second half. Our efforts fell just short in extra time. With three games left in the 2025 season, the Lilacs are focused on finishing strong and taking all nine points from their remaining fixtures. Banaat FC is back in action on Monday, May 19th at 8:30 PM for a rematch against Empire.
Attendance: 55 spectators.
