Donning an actual captain’s armband on your sleeve is probably a first for the Emirates Islamic National School League Football competition – then again, GEMS Our Own Indian skipper Tony Paul takes his role as team leader seriously.
What’s even stranger than the appearance of the armband is that Manchester United fan Paul uses Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard – and his inspirational performance in the 2005 Champions League final against AC Milan – as his role model.
Just like Stevie G did throughout his Reds career, Tony P was the heartbeat of his side as he dragged them into the NSL Under-16 semi-finals on Saturday with a man-of-the-match performance in a nail-biting 3-2 quarter-final win against Fujairah’s Institute of Applied Technology (IAT).
Paul scored a captain’s goal for GEMS, who led throughout the contest, with Rixon Lobo adding a brace, although IAT fought back superbly in the second half and set up enthralling finale when they made it 3-2 in the final minutes.
They had eased into the last eight with a commanding 5-1 win against Delhi Private School Sharjah in the last 16 clash earlier on at The Sevens.
Captain marvel Paul will now hope to lead his team all the way to glory when GEMS face Al Ain Juniors English in the last four in two weeks’ time on February 4.
“As captain, I want to be an example to my team, be a good role model, and inspire my team-mates,” said the 16-year-old.
“I admire Steven Gerrard as a captain. I think about him in the 2005 Champions League final against AC Milan, he was just amazing, that was inspirational and that’s what kind of captain I want to be – even though I’m a Manchester United fan.”
Paul is not short on confidence and says his team are not interested in anything else but lifting the NSL trophy.
“We’re going all the way. Nothing but the trophy will do for us,” he added.
GEMS played in the inaugural NSL tournament last year but didn’t make it out of the group stages, although Paul believes his team are better equipped to succeed this time around.
“The difference this year has been we have more chemistry,” he said.
“I’m playing with all my friends, we have played together longer as a team now so we’re more familiar with each other and that has helped us through.”
Another man not short on confidence is Ralph Charaf, whose brilliantly struck volley proved to be the difference between reigning U-16 champions Lycee Francais International Georges Pompidou and Alkamal American School.
The French school were made to fight all the way for their 1-0 victory which sent them through in a pulsating encounter – Charaf’s rocket from Thomas Rousse’s delightful lofted pass giving them a chance to make it back-to-back triumphs next month.
And, having moved to the school this year and not been a part of last year’s title-winning team, Charaf is determined to get himself a winners’ medal.
“We won last year, we’re here to defend that title and we’re coming to get it back,” said Charaf, 15.
“I’m more determined because I wasn’t part of the team that won the trophy last year.”
Striker Charaf was subjected to some rough treatment by LFI’s Sharjah opponents, but the striker relishes the physical nature of the game.
“I hold the ball up and it’s physical, I get a few kicks, but I enjoy that,” he said.
“It was a tough game but we came through it. Easy game, hard game, physical game we don’t care, we just want to win every single game.”
All four quarter-finals were decided by just one goal, highlighting the calibre of all eight teams.
Mahmoud Khalil’s brace was the difference as Al Ain’s Our Own English School overcame Abu Dhabi’s Al Dhafra 2-1, while Mohammed Sajid scored the goal that sent Al Ain Juniors English into the last four following a 1-0 triumph against Abu Dhabi Indian School.
