Anthony Akumu, Masoud Juma, and Austin Odhiambo have lifted their first piece of silverware together in Lebanese football, helping Nejmeh SC beat Al Hikma 2-0 to win the Lebanese FA Cup at Fouad Chehab Stadium.
Goals from Ali El Fadl and an own goal from an Al Hikma defender secured the win for Nejmeh, with Akumu and Juma named in the starting line-up and playing the full 90 minutes. Akumu marshalled the midfield, while Juma led the line throughout as Nejmeh saw out the win. Odhiambo, who joined from Kenyan champions Gor Mahia, came off the bench to add his name to the triumph.
The trophy caps one of the most turbulent seasons in Nejmeh’s recent history. Nejmeh had entered the campaign as one of the favourites for the league title but dropped crucial points along the way, ultimately finishing outside the championship positions and turning to the domestic cup as their last realistic shot at silverware.
That difficult campaign was compounded by events far removed from football. In March, escalating regional conflict brought explosions to Beirut, forcing the suspension of football activity and pushing Akumu, Juma, and Odhiambo to seek an urgent route home. The three secured a flight out via Egypt as the security situation deteriorated, with the club granting them leave until conditions improved. Their return to Beirut once things settled down set the stage for the run to Wednesday’s final.
For a group that arrived in Lebanon separately and built its bond amid genuine danger as much as it did through football, Wednesday’s win carries extra weight. It marks their first trophy together since joining the Beirut giants, and a fitting way to salvage a season that threatened, at multiple points, to unravel entirely — both on the pitch and off it.
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