Linden to come alive for Kashif and Shanghai finale
By Steve Ninvalle
Stabroek News
January 1, 2003

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"There will be no room for error and I think that the team that makes the least errors will win." - Conquerors coach Dereck Whyte

The Mackenzie Sports Club is expected to come alive when the final of the Kashif and Shanghai football competition is staged this evening.

Fruta Conquerors face first-timers Western Tigers in the final scheduled to start at 8:00pm. In the second game of the double-header Santos and Camptown battle for third place.

Conquerors coach Dereck `Slight' Whyte has declared that the final will boil down to which team wants it most.

"There will be no room for error and I think that the team that makes the least errors will win," Whyte told Stabroek Sport.

A lot will depend on how well Conquerors could mark Western Tigers' ace striker Eron `Sawyer' Hayde. The ubiquitous Hayde is the tournament's leading goal scorer and banged in a double in Sunday's semi-final.

In their last three meetings Western Tigers came out victorious twice. However, Conquerors gained their victory by a 5-0 margin.

In order to beat Western Tigers Whyte said: "We could play with a bit more intensity and purpose (than against Santos in the semi-final). We have been taking this tournament one game at a time. The final will be no different. We will play Western Tigers on Western Tigers' merit," Whyte stated.

Whyte continued: "Regardless of whom we would have been playing I would have been confident of us winning." Whyte added.

Conquerors is injury free going into this evening's game and is strengthened by the return of midfielder Charles `Valderama' Rose.

The talented player missed the semi-final after being red-carded in the quarter final. Whyte lauded Rose's impending return. "Rose is a very good player. No doubt he is one of better midfielders in the country. His presence will definitely boost the midfield."

Rose will be assisted by the potent strike team of Dexter `Dribbler' Bentick, Kevin Grimes and Anthony `Awo' Abrams. Captain Neville `Smutty' Stanton, Lennox Charles, Orville Bobb, Anthony Nelson and Gerald Grittens will lend support.

On the other hand Western Tigers' manager Dexter Cush explained that his club will be approaching today's game differently than the semi-final game against Camptown whom they defeated 3-2.

"We have to play a much more different game. Western Tigers is not as aggressive as Camptown. You can expect a Western Tigers with a tighter defence," Cush said.

Central defender Jermaine Porter will play his first game of the tournament. "We are a stronger team for the final. We have been improving over the last six months and have been in the last four of the last four knockout competition. At the final we'll be putting out all. This is the first time that we have played this competition without a guest player."

National Under-17 midfielder Shavane Seaforth, Ryan Thomas, Patrice Ram, and Delon Fraser have been named in the Tigers squad. The team winning the finals will receive the $600,000 first prize donated by His Excellency president Bharrat Jagdeo.

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