Local lads top the 5-a-side league

Story: Ade Adeyinka

A confident smile emanated from the Inter Yemen players in their post-match huddle, following their third consecutive League Championship medal in the Sheffield Powerleague at the Pitz, Woodbourn Stadium.

Just two years after they joined the league, the team of eight has entered 3 leagues and won all 3, making them league champions in both Thursday and Tuesday Five-a-side leagues. In December they played a sensational game against close rivals and former titleholders Barmy Army F.C. who lost their three-year trophy to Inter Yemen.

Yaz, team striker and winner of the Player of the League Trophy, hailed the game to be a comfortable victory for his teammates who now control the Tuesday Five-a-side league, one of the best leagues in Woodbourn stadium. He said,

“We played a total of 18 matches in consecutive weeks, winning 17 and losing only one”.

If you think that’s not impressive then you should know that no other team in the league was able to win more than 14 games. Inter Yemen are now half way through the current league and are favourites to retain their title, although they do have stronger teams to play against this season. They are in a good position at the moment, sitting second in the league with a game in hand which if they win sends them top of the table.

This group of good friends go back a long time; they all grew up together around Burngreave and have been playing since the age of 11. Some of them played for the same teams and are still playing together now!

“We used to kick about with each other and most of us have continued to play together ever since then.” Yaz said “The only thing is we didn’t look like a team then because we had no kit.”

The team now has the kit and local support to make it a prime competitor in Sheffield.

In the summer they came third in a one day tournament at Pitz, qualifying to play in the regional finals in Manchester, against some of the best teams in the north of England. Inter Yemen made it to the quarter-finals where they were beaten by the eventual champions.

“Our best achievement for now is getting through to the quarter-finals in Manchester and also winning the Tuesday 5-a-side league, which we hope to retain. We are considering moving up to the 7-a-side league in Woodbourn stadium.”

Football is still one of their favourite pastimes and they certainly play it well.