Bonya take title - emphatically

Yes folks,‘it’s all over now, the fat lady is singing, it’s done and dusted, the seconds have thrown in the towels - Bonya have won the inaugural African Bible University Premier League, with one week and one game still to go.  If ever there were any doubts, and I had one or two, they have been flushed down the pan by another rampage from the ABU Tigers.

If the Brothers had any notion of spoiling the party, they were gone in 60 seconds, when Tamandani took the ball out of his own area (yes, you are right that should have been a penalty!), stormed down the other end, and scored an absolute thunderbolt!  Poor Murray Robertson, never had a chance, and nor did he for the next six!  Yes, Bonya scored a magnificent seven, to the Brothers’ two.  Now the first should have been Brothers from a penalty, but it wasn’t, and with the referee having a bad night, nothing seemed to go in favour of the Brothers team.  Still, we mustn’t take anything away from Bonya United, who have bossed this league from the beginning.  Goals from Phiri (2), Alfred (2), Omo, Stuart (from a dodgy penalty award!) and the one mentioned from Tam, were evidence enough that they all can play and they all can score.  Kinsella and Kenny’s goals were sad consolation, relay, but it’s worth mentioning, that Kinsella’s was from the half-way line!

The other match of the evening saw Hard Rock open fire on their fellow labourers, the Super Bullets.  A 5-0 win does not reflect the hard work the Bullets put in on the night.  They fought hard, but again the Bullets were wide of the target.  But one could say, they only have themselves to blame, for Hard Rock’s season was turned around by 14 Year old Matthew, who’s dad (who plays for the Super Bullets), recruited him for them!  Goals from Fred and a couple of others (whose names I can’t read), were enough to seal the Bullets’ fate.  Their best hope is, that Alpha fail to turn up next week, and the Bullets get awarded the three points, and 4-0 win, for that is what happened to the All Stars, in the evening’s third non-game.

Alpha need to pull themselves together, and get a team out next week, or else they will finish bottom of the league, with no invitation to the CHapions League, after Christmas.  For that is what all the teams, apart from Bonya, have to look forward to now…the Champions League.  Bonya, they are the champions of this league, and they thoroughly deserve it.  At times there conduct has not always been the most gentlemanly, but there football has been majestic and imperialistic.  Who can stop them?  Nobody so far, that is for certain!

ABU Premier League

ROUND 6

TEAM	P	W	L	D	F	A	DIFF.	POINTS
Bonya United	5	5	0	0	30	7	23	15
Goy F.C.	5	3	1	1	15	8	7	10
Hard Rock	6	3	3	0	12	17	-5	9
Brothers United	5	2	2	1	11	10	1	7
All Stars F.C.	5	2	3	0	16	13	3	3
Alpha F.C.	5	1	4	0	7	18	-11	3
Super Bullets	5	1	4	0	11	28	-17	3

Latest Results: Bullets 0 v 5 Hard Rock; Bonya 7 v 2 Brothers; (All Stars v Alpha: Alpha did not turn up, so All Stars were awarded a 4 v 0 victory.)

Upcoming Fixtures:

13^th Dec: 1. Bullets v Alpha; 2. All Stars v Brothers; 3. Bonya v Goy; 4. Hard Rock v Subs

Trivia answer: Brothers United, of course, mentioned in Changing of the Guard, found on Street Legal (1976).

Kajjinsi Police Report

Now before some of you say, “I knew it!  He had it coming!”  Let me assure you, I have not been arrested; I just paid them a visit today, with prison ministry on my mind.

Latif carrying the board through (what he called) the slums!

Latif led me down the back streets of Kajjansi, through the ‘slums’ as he calls them, to the local police station.  Latif is a local boy, with many relatives.  This is because his father and grandfather were polygamists, so everyone it seems, is his brother, uncle or cousin!  Anyway, one uncle (Robert) is high up in the police force at Kajjansi, and Latif had asked him if we could start up a prison ministry.  Robert said we’d have to speak with the Officer in Charge (C.O. – with three pips on each shoulder!), which is what we did today.  He looked quite serious, when we made our proposal, and said, “Yes, you can come and preach to my officers, and you can come in here (his office) and preach to me!”  We explained that that would be great, but we’d like to preach to the prisoners, too.  Praise God, he seemed to like this idea also, but said we’d need to speak to the C.O. there, first, as his station just had holding cells.  He gave me his card, and wrote down the number of the other C.O., telling us it should be ok.

   

One of the local Bobbettes

A carefully locked up police bike.

                                          

      

So, we didn’t get the chance to preach today, and it was our last week for outreach, but we have hopefully opened the door to a new opportunity in the new year.  Latif did have time to have his hair cut, though, and I did have a chat with a young shoe seller called Geoffrey.  He goes to church, but has no assurance of salvation.  He prays, but doesn’t know his Bible well enough.  Maybe you could remember him and the prison possibilities, and Judith (sober this time) and Agnes, who we bumped into again.

Judith, in the murkier side of town.

Geoffrey, selling his wares.

                      

Latif, finding time for a hair-cut!

The Muzungu preacher, with his
Bible and board

 Thank you, and God bless you.  (I won’t wish you a merry Christmas just yet, as I will send out a report on the Christmas Crusade, once I get round to finishing it!)

Sean 

Look out Bonya, we’re catching you up!

With Bonya having a rest week, it left the door open for the chasing pack to try and do some catching up…and that’s just what they did!

Bonya captain, Alfred, watches on anxiously, as fans (well Margy!) shiver in the stands! 

Goy, recovering from their shock defeat last week, to the All Stars, bounced back with a 2-1 win over revitalised Alpha, who seem to have a bigger squad than Manchester United!  There were certainly a couple of ringers (players with no connection to ABU, brought in to boost their team!) on show last night, but not effectual enough to turn the course of the game, or tournament.  A goal each for Jonathan and new-comer, Joshua Agonya, was enough to better Alpha’s lone strike from Estifanos, and condemn Alpha to second bottom in the table.

Shin pads really are a good idea!

The second match of the evening saw Hard Rock continue their recovery, beating the All Stars 3-2.  It was a tight match, with the score reflecting the Hard Rock’s capability of giving as good as Esther Schappler gave them (and the unfortunate Goy, last week!).  There were a few knocks and bruises, as well as goals from Masese (two for the All Stars) and Yiga, Mutyaoba and Martin (for Hard Rock), but certainly a good game.  Hard Rock are up against the Super Bullets, next week, which promises to be a real ‘crunch’ game – I’ll be wearing my shin pads just to watch it – make sure you don’t miss it!

The last match of the evening (only three this week, due to the Christmas Crusade running late!) saw the Brothers United, looking to bounce back after last week’s hard lesson from Hard Rock, up against the Super Bullets.  With Mickoh Dan back in the squad, solo scorer Kinsella returned to defence, and though it could be argued that was a good move, it wasn’t as good as having M-D back.  He bagged the only hat-trick of the evening, to go with Kenny’s super effort, to help the Brothers to a 4-0 win.  One thing of note, this writer has come to learn is, that the Bullets play to their name; the power of their shots certainly stung like bullets – though on the night, it turns out, they were all blanks!  Murray Robertson again keeping a clean sheet – that’s 3 out of 4 games, now!

Keeping an eye on her man, in (solid) defence!

So, with Goy resting next week, and the Brothers up against Bonya, things really are beginning to heat up.  If the Brothers can steal a win against the top team, the last week of the tournament is going to be a real humdinger!  The chasing pack are sharpening their teeth, hoping for a kill…well, at least a feast!

ABU Premier League

ROUND 5

TEAM	P	W	L	D	F	A	DIFF.	POINTS
Bonya United	4	4	0	0	23	5	18	12
Goy F.C.	5	3	1	1	15	8	7	10
Brothers United	4	2	1	1	9	3	6	7
Hard Rock	5	2	3	0	7	17	-10	6
All Stars F.C.	4	1	3	0	12	13	-1	3
Alpha F.C.	4	1	3	0	7	14	-7	3
Super Bullets	4	1	3	0	11	23	-12	3

Latest Results: Goy 2-1 Alpha; All Stars 2-3 Hard Rock; Brothers Utd 4-0 Super Bullets

Upcoming Fixtures:

6^th Dec: 1. Bullets v Hard Rock; 2. All Stars v Alpha; 3. Bonya v Brothers; 4. Subs v Goy;

13^th Dec: 1. Bullets v Alpha; 2. All Stars v Brothers; 3. Bonya v Goy; 4. Hard Rock v Subs