By Boris Esono
Football Writer, Kick442.com- Cameroon
A late strike from substitute Eba Emile handed ISOHSA a crucial 2-1 win over Aigle Royal of the Menoua at the Tiko Town Green Stadium on Sunday, February 2.
The win which counted for matchday 8 of the Elite 2 championship propelled ISOHSA to the top of Group A with 13 points, one ahead of second-placed Bafmeng United.
The win was also significant as it marked the first victory for the People’s Royal Elephant in Tiko in the Elite 2 championship—the Tiko Town Green Stadium is the home ground chosen by ISOHSA to play their matches.
Watched by the former FECAFOOT SW President Dr Ndive Thomas and the multitude of fans who turned out, the game got off to an intense start, with Alfred Mbita giving ISOHSA an early lead in the 12 minutes of play after a powerful shot found the back of the net.
Despite going behind, Aigle Royale of the Menoua remained unfazed. The side responded four minutes later, with Jonathan Steve levelling the game at 1-1. Both teams created several chances but failed to capitalize, heading into halftime with the scores still even.
In the second half, ISOHSA dominated possession, taking advantage of Aigle Royal’s numerical disadvantage following a red to Alexandre Franck in the first half. Despite being a man down, Aigle Royal of the Menoua put up a strong defensive display and even had opportunities to take the lead, but poor finishing let them down.
Just when the match seemed destined to end in a draw, Eba Emile emerged as the hero, scoring a 90+3-minute goal to snatch all three points for the Peoples Royal Elephant. The last-gasp winner sent the home crowd into wild celebrations, marking a much-needed win after two consecutive defeats to Union Sportive Abong-Mbang and FAP Yaoundé.
Massive support from the Tiko population
Speaking after the match, ISOHSA head coach Joseph Mbock Maput praised the Tiko fans for their unwavering support. He said: “When coming to Tiko, I always have that impression that Tiko is my home because I have been winning games in Tiko as well. So, we are very happy with fans in Tiko, they came out massively to support us and they continue to give us this support because they should just keep on supporting and they shouldn’t criticize.”
“Because those guys, they are very young and they are growing up. If you push them, you support them, they play well, and they do what you want. If you criticize them a lot, you see them, they start dropping their performances. So, I’m happy with the Tiko population, they did not criticize, they kept on pushing my guys.”
Coach Mbock Maput also highlighted the team’s resilience despite the recent injury struggle. He said: “Our last match we had a lot of injury cases; I mean a lot of players were down and I realized that we went for high pressing and there was a mix-up somewhere that didn’t do what we planned to do that same day.”
All eyes turned to Bafmeng United
ISOHSA’s next challenge will be an away fixture against Bafmeng United in Bamenda. Coach Maput acknowledges the difficulty of the match but remains confident in his squad’s ability to secure another victory.
“Well, it is an anglophone derby. It’s going to be tough but we are prepared. We are going to face Bafmeng, it will be tough but we are ready for the task,” Mbock Maput said.
The victory for ISOHSA at the Tiko Town Green Stadium on February 2, takes the side to the top of Group A in the MTN Elite 2 Football Championship with 13 points, one ahead of Bafmeng United. Aigle Royal of the Menoua meantime stays 7th with 7 points.
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