GAELIC SPORTS WORLD Issue 20 – February 22, 2015 | Page 37
QATAR
MIDDLE EAST MEN’S FOOTBALL RD 4 – FINAL ROUND
FEBRUARY 18, 2015
ABU DHABI AWARDED
MIDDLE EAST CROWN
In what was one of the most exciting
ever Middle East men’s senior football
leagues, with new winners in each of
the four rounds, the final episode last
Friday Feb 13 in Qatar, proved somewhat low-keyed as this year’s crown
was awarded to Abu Dhabi Na Fianna
A, on account of Dubai A having to
pull out of a playoff league decider.
The concluding stages of the Middle East Men’s Senior Football League
had been scheduled for February 20th
but was brought forward a week to last
Friday at the same venue in Qatar.
TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Heading into the fourth and final
Abu Dhabi Na Fianna A crowned Middle East League Senior Men’s winners. (Photo: Michael
Barry/Qatar GAA Facebook)
round of this 8 team, 9-aside format, things looked completely different to last year as just four points separated the
top three teams and the league too close to call. This time 12
months ago, Dubai A were the hot favourites to take honours
as they had won the first three rounds and duly obliged when
also taking the decider. But this year has been anything but
clear-cut as we have had no less than three different winners in
the opening rounds -– Abu Dhabi, Arabian Celts, and Dubai B
surprise packet last time out at Al Ain.
So prior to last weekend’s final round at the Doha Rugby
Club, the standings showed Abu Dhabi A, who had finished
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