1999 Gutersloh European Tournament, Germany
18 Sep 2006

With only four weeks prior warning the Assyrian team had been invited to participate in what is unofficially known as, The Assyrian European Cup. The venue of this tournament, Guttersloh, Germany. A small town situated on the outskirts of Dusseldorf was the perfect setting for what proved to be a memorable weekend of football.
All teams gathered together to unite and be informed of the rules of this competition.

Games commenced on a bright Saturday morning with our London Assyrian team, led by Player/Manager Tom Khoshaba, facing their first challenge. A win was very much needed to kick off their campaign.

A goal by John Michael broke the deadlock and saw the team through what was a slow start to the games. With a squad of eighteen players Tom had the man power to swap and change the first eleven. In came a fresh set players to take on the young Assyrians of France. This game proved to be a test of fitness for our boys as they were defeated by two goals to one. Oh dear!, with the difficult task of proceeding through to the next round our boys had a mountain to climb. The Assyrian European Cup seemed to be eluding them as they had to rely on another result in their group matched with a convincing win to see them through to the qualifying stages.

"A make or break game", as it was labelled by the Manager. Tom knew the consequences of another defeat as the exit door was staring them in the face. Ironically, our boys’ opponents were the hosts, Guttersloh. And what a game it proved to be. Dispite winning the game with an individual effort by Hormez Haji, beautifully placing the ball in the top corner. The match was overshadowed by circumstances that could have seen the game go either way. Overcoming this stumbling block to what was a very much one sided match, our boys clinched their place in the semi final.

Roll on the penultimate game. Against another French side, a re-shuffle of the team and the boys from London bounced right back in the swing of things, with goals from Albert Tamou, Dani Samoo, Martin Heskel, Mark Heskel & the veteran, Wilson Jaso put not only dignity into the team but through to the finals.

Determination, confidence and great team play had played a huge part of the team’s roller coaster journey to the final. The boys had time to rest and compose themselves for what was their last game.
Holland, the champions of the previous year, met our boys in the final. And it didn’t take them long before scoring their first goal after they pounced on a defensive error. With many attempts to equalise, including a free kick inside their own area, Holland truly defended the whole game in style. Unfortunately our boys conceded a second goal that put salt to the wound. Tom’s team, facing the obvious made changes to the side, in hopes of restoring the deficit. However this wasn’t to be. In the preparation of making a substitution a third goal hit the back of the net and sealing the game for Holland’s well deserved defence of The ‘European Assyrian Cup’.

In summery this tournament brought many teams across Europe together in many ways than one. Success and defeat mattered to a certain extent, however above all the collaboration of Assyrians to unite and prove that we are still a great race and perhaps one day be able to have a national side, representing our motherland, Assyria.