Sports Club played their first game for the FA Cup, the top knockout tournament in Tanzania. They played against Kimara United, a football team from Dodoma, in the Samora Stadium in Iringa. The match ended with a score of 1-1, resulting in penalties, during which the Ilula Tigers lost with a score of 4-5.
The IOP school buses were used as transportation medium for both team and supporters. The Stadium quickly filled with not only IOP staff and the Ilula villagers, but also the local community from Iringa town. The Ilula Tigers fans kept on cheering the team. One could feel the excitement in the air. The Ilula Tigers kept the pressure during the whole game, but unfortunately no goal was shot before half time. During the second half of the game, the Ilula Tigers finally scored a goal, which increased the cheering instantly. However, this was quickly followed by a goal from the opposing team. When the referee signalled the end of the game with the draw score of 1-1, everyone could feel the tension. The penalties were going to decide whether the team continues in the Cup or not. Unfortunately, the Ilula Tigers ended up missing one goal, making the opposing team the winners. This means that the Ilula Tigers are out of the Cup.
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