New Rovers vs KINGSWAY
5 - 3
30 November 2025 · SUFL CUP FINAL
Neutral cup match played on 30 November 2025.
Kicked off at 6:00 PM
5-3
vs KINGSWAY
Neutral cup match
KINGSWAY 2-2 NEW ROVERS
New Rovers won 3-1 on penalties
Sunday November 30
Scotstoun
In arguably in the best team performance in the last two seasons, a last minute strike from skipper JOHNNY GREENWOOD brought his team back from the dead in a fiercely contested SUFL Cup Final against a very strong Kingsway side - and set up a penalty shoot out which saw AKRAM BYFANZI, ABDUL ALSAHAR and ABDULRAHMAN AHMAD (ZORO) clinch a well deserved victory for their team.
Kingsway opened the scoring very early on and Rovers had to hang on for a while against quality opponents but gradually settled into the game and it was not a surprise when ABDULLAH KASSAR netted expertly at the back post with a right foot finish. Chances to take the lead were not taken before the interval but Rovers had the better of the first half - though their impressive opponents had had a penalty awarded and brilliantly saved by Eliasz Zalewski and were always likely to pose a goal threat.
In another closely fought 45 minutes, Kingsway took the lead through a header from former Swansea City, Falkirk, Scotland Under 19s, etc. striker Botti Biabi (29) and, with time running out, hugely committed efforts from Rovers looked like proving fruitless after Tom Rodriguez had hit the post with a powerful header and Andrea Ekuase blasted wide - but JOHNNY GREENWOOD’s excellence on the ball in the box saw him create a half chance which he buried into the right hand corner.
Overall, another strong defensive display- Eliasz Zalewski made the penalty save and also some other top saves and his back four - Alsahar, Fiado, Fadaaq, Rodriguez- again defended extremely well faced with dangerous experienced attackers; skipper Greenwood and the industrious Nabil Al Humaidi in midfield not only passed and pressed very effectively but, before he dropped back in the second half, dealt with the quality of the former Algerian top league player Youcef Narbesla. Attacking midfielder Abdulmajeed Alqadhi, making his first start, was outstanding, showing great awareness and passing ability and well as joining the other midfielders in high tempo and physically committed pressing. Up front, Abdullah Kassar again showed his sharpness by adding to his recent goal tally, Andrea Ekuase gave his best display for months and Akram Byfanzi put in a real shift, linked play well and took the responsibility to open the scoring in the shoot out after the first two penalties had been missed.
The players who came on all contributed well and a packed bench resulted in our excellent young players Kyle McPhee and Nathan Decuyper being kept on hold - a situation unlikely to happen again!
GREAT TO WIN THE CUP - NEXT? WINNING THE LEAGUE!!
Zalewski; Alsahar, Fiado, Fadaaq, Rodriguez;
Greenwood, Al Humaidi; Kassar (Abdelrahman) (M. Ahmad), Byfanzi (Martins) (A. Ahmad), Ekuase. Subs not used: McPhee, Decuyper.