Habtoor set up title showdown with UAE in IFZA Silver Cup final

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Habtoor edged past Dubai Wolves by CAFU 9-8 in a thrilling semi-final match of the IFZA Silver Cup 2021 on Tuesday.

Making an impressive comeback, Habtoor overcame their rivals with Facundo Sola scoring in the dying minutes of the match, which took place at the Al Habtoor Polo Resort and Club.

Dubai Wolves by CAFU were off to a perfect start. Alejandro Muzzio opened their account and the Wolves ended the first two chukkers with a one-goal lead.

Muzzio’s second and Kian Hall’s accurate shot on target stretched their lead to three and the end of the third chukker.

Displaying remarkable offensive performance, Habtoor’s Sola intensified the efforts and narrowed the gap by scoring three goals while the team's strong defense didn’t not allow the Wolves to flex muscle further.

With two minutes left on the clock, Sola managed to even the scores.

Players of UAE and Bangash in action during their semi-final match.

Later, he managed to put one through the posts to seal Habtoor’s spot in the final.

Habtoor will lock horns with the UAE Team in the final. The final of the IFZA Silver Cup will take place on Friday.

The second match of the afternoon opened with a goal from Benjamin Panelo for Bangash Polo team followed by a series of penalties awarded that led to the UAE Team grabbing the initial lead in the game.

The UAE Team kept their 1.5 half goal lead until the end of the third chukker with the majority of the goals coming from Guillermo Willington but with Benja delivering goals that kept the scores close.

The last two chukkers determined the win for the UAE Team as Tomas Panelo and Lucas Monteverde Jr scored a total of six goals closing the game with a 6.5 goal advantage.

Bangash couldn’t maintain their momentum in the last chukker while Panelo and Lucas dodged their opponents defense and exploded with a series of goals to ensure the UAE Team book ticket for the final.