- Atlantic FC edged out Union Sportive of Abong Mbang by 1-0
- The trophy winning goal was scored in the 55th minute of the game via Laurent Nkoa
Laurent Nkoa was the hero of the 2024 national interpools final as he scored the only goal to seal a narrow 1-0 win for Atlantic of Kribi on Sunday against a very good Union Sportif of Abong Mbang side at the packed to rafters Ngoa Ekelle stadium.
Nkoa decided the contest within the opening ten minutes of the second segment, scoring the only goal which his side held unto till the end to ensure the trophy ISOHSA won last year returns to the South Region.
The first half of the match saw both teams leaving the pitch with a goalless draw, as neither side was able to break the deadlock. However, the second half proved to be a thrilling one, with Atlantic FC’s Laurent Nkoa scoring the decisive goal in the 10th minute.
Despite USA’s best efforts to equalize, they were unable to find the back of the net. However, they came close in the dying minutes of the match when they were awarded a free kick, but luck eluded them, and the match ended with a 1-0 defeat for USA.
The representative of the south region, Abong Mbang, had already secured a ticket to the elite two championship after defeating Mintack FC in a penalty shootout that yielded an 8-7 victory. Abong Mbang had a similar success, defeating Volcan of Noun 3-2. Both teams were seeking promotion to the second division after successfully winning their respective semi-finals.
Given the high stakes and the rivalry between the two teams, yesterday’s encounter was more about pride than points, as it was a battle of supremacy. Unfortunately, Union Sportive was unable to overcome the challenge posed by the resilient Atlantic FC.