8:00 PM- Emaan vs Ikhlas:
What the heck happened to Emaan (orange) in Week Nine? They seemed to have everything rolling just in time for the playoffs with big wins against Sabr (yellow) and Haya (grey). But they took a major step backwards in their last game, losing 2-1 against Shukr (red). Now this puts them in some hot water! If they lose again this Friday, Emaan can drop all the way down to fourth (depending if Shukr & Haya win their games). This would mean they would have to play the extra wildcard game. The wildcard winner will have to find a way to recover and play another do-or-die game against Sabr (yellow) the same night. For Ikhlas (green), they will gladly take playing in that wildcard game. All they want is the opportunity to keep their hopes of hoisting the I-Slam Cup alive for at least one more week. Ikhlas showed a lot of spirit last week against Haya - however, they came up short in the Battle of Cambridge losing 4-2. If Ikhlas is able to win on Friday, they will send Yaqeen (white) home and can punch their ticket to the big dance. On the other hand, if Emaan wins this game, team Ikhlas will lose control of their destiny and be forced to nervously watch the outcome of the 10 pm game.
9:00 PM- Sabr vs Haya:
The last time these teams met it was the must-see game of the season (view highlights here). In their first encounter Haya put an end to Sabr’s undefeated streak. Since then both teams encountered some rough patches leading up to this game. Specifically, Emaan was able to defeat both Sabr and Haya. Haya also took a surprising ‘L’ against Shukr (score 4-3) a few weeks back. So where do we stand now? On the surface this game has a bit more meaning for Haya (as Sabr has already clinched first overall). For Haya, they are looking to avoid playing in the wildcard game (which would mean having 2 single elimination games in one night). A win on Friday for Haya would avoid this scenario. A loss combined with a Shukr win (at 10 pm) would make Haya’s path to the finals immensely more difficult. Diving a bit deeper, let’s not over-look the potential psychological warfare. Think about it… Most feel that these two teams will be in the finals. With that said, if Sabr loses yet again to Haya, Sabr will enter the playoffs knowing there is one team they haven’t been able to solve. Don’t kid yourself, this would be on their minds all post-season if Haya comes away with the “W” tonight. As well, the value of momentum heading into the playoffs often predicts post-season success; likewise, teams heading in the wrong direction at the end of the season typically have a harder time getting things back on track. On that note, both teams are chomping at the bit to kill their rival’s momentum heading into the second season.
10:00 PM- Shukr vs Yaqeen:
Sorry to be repetitive but if you read the previews for the other two games, you know that Shukr will be looking to avoid the wildcard game next week. Depending if either Emaan or Haya lose or tie their respective games, Shukr has a chance to avoid this scenario. From the other perspective, just like Ikhlas, Yaqeen will more than welcome playing in the wildcard game. The only way this can happen is Yaqeen needs to get one more point than Ikhlas. Yaqeen is lying on their deathbed needing Emaan to do them a huge favour while at the same time taking care of business on their end. If the night goes Yaqeen’s way they will set up a rematch with Shukr for the wildcard game. In Week Nine, Yaqeen showed a lot of heart against the top-ranked Sabr. They even held a 1-0 lead heading into the 2nd half. Unfortunately for them, they ended up losing that game 3-1. While they showed significant improvement in comparison to how their season has been going they don’t have time for moral victories. They have no other option now…
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