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By Anfal Hanif
The Ottawa South United Force under-14 boys’ soccer team survived nearly a full half with 10 players before the deciding penalty-kicks shootout proved to be their undoing in the Ontario Player Development League Charity Shield final on Oct. 25.
OSU captain Omar Eldadah’s day on the pitch ended in the 43rd minute when he was shown a red card for a foul that took away a solid scoring chance, but he never stopped leading while watching from the sidelines as his teammates fought to keep their championship hopes alive against Woodbridge.
Eldadah was thankful that an unknown man pointed out that the OPDL rulebook said he couldn’t be on the bench but he could stay nearby, so when the game went to a shootout, he took the chance to bring his teammates together and deliver one final message.
“I told them, ‘Listen, it doesn’t matter if we win or lose,'” recounts Eldadah. “We played our hearts out, even with a man down. We played with passion. You have to just keep your head down, pick a side. At the end of the day, it’s one shot. One shot per player will decide the game and just have confidence and everything will go well.”
The red card came after what Eldadah describes as an intense match against a Woodbridge side that pressed aggressively and celebrated its tackles. He felt the atmosphere surrounding the game contributed to the circumstances of his “very questionable” dismissal, although he was respectful of the referee’s decision in the moment.
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WATCH | Ontario Soccer | U14 Boys | Ottawa South United vs Woodbridge SC | OPDL Gary Miller Charity Shield 2026
The Force staff attempted to appeal after reviewing the video footage, but wound up with no more than a yellow card themselves.
With Eldadah off the field, head coach Mohandi Mulay had to adjust the team’s usual attacking approach. OSU typically looks to attack with numbers and maintain a high line, but playing with 10 forced the group to change its build-up and take on different responsibilities.
Despite the disadvantage, the players continued to compete. Moments after OSU’s Islam Ayoub Sillah came close to scoring on a scramble next to the Woodbridge goal, Force goalkeeper Hezekia Rajakoba made a crucial breakaway save in the final minute to keep the score level and send the match to penalties.
Rajakoba says the save gave him more confidence heading into the shootout and helped lift his teammates at a moment when they were close to giving up “because it was almost a clear goal.”
WATCH | Ontario Soccer | HIGHLIGHTS | Ottawa South United vs Woodbridge | U14 Boys Gary Miller Charity Shield 2026
The next challenge for the OPDL league’s leader in clean sheets was “to clear my mind from the game and just focus on the penalty shootout,” recalls Rajakoba.
To be involved in such a pivotal moment at the end of the season was a big leap from where his year began.
Rajakoba was initially expected to be sidelined for three months by a fractured ankle, but he managed to return in time to try out for the provincial team about a month early, ultimately earning a spot on Team Ontario for a pre-season series. He wore an ankle brace during his first game but removed it for the second after no longer experiencing pain.
Teammate Dante Socarras overcame a considerably more serious injury himself from the start of the season, which kept him in hospital for two weeks and grounded in Malta for two months.
The Force rallied behind their teammate and became an even closer group come season’s end, which OSU forward Zola Ndongo fully felt when he stepped up to take his shot during the penalty-kicks session.
“I’d say that during the penalty shootout, the thing that helped us the most is knowing that no matter what, whether you miss your score, we all have [our] brothers’ backs,” reflects Ndongo, who converted his attempt in a 4-3 shootout defeat. “It’s kind of like we are one as a team. So if I score, it’s like they scored. If they miss, it’s also like I’ve missed the penalty.”
That sense of togetherness was a recurring theme throughout the season, particularly for Eldadah, who has served as captain for two consecutive years.
“Being the captain is not just about wearing the armband. Being the captain means you have to be an exemplary player, a role model, on and off the pitch,” highlights Eldadah, whose team qualified for the final with a 4-1 playoff win over London TFC. “In the semis, we all realized that we are all a family, we’re all one. And instead of really playing for a result, we started playing for each other.”
He credits coach Mohandi Mulay for instilling that mentality. Compared with the previous season, Eldadah says the team became more connected in how it passed, moved and supported one another.
“From the first day, Mohandi made it clear that if one of us succeeds, we’re all gonna succeed,” he indicates.
For Eldadah, who also captained Team Ontario this year, leadership means motivating teammates, taking responsibility and setting an example, including when circumstances are difficult. The Force had their share of challenges during the season.
OSU suffered its first two losses in two seasons of OPDL play during the premier campaign. A 3-0 defeat to Vaughan made the Force’s path to nationals qualification more difficult, although they ultimately secured a spot in next year’s Canadian Player Development Program Championships alongside league-champion Atlético Ottawa, which fell to Woodbridge 2-0 in the playoff semi-finals.
Read More: Camaraderie key to AOJ’s groundbreaking OPDL boys’ championship
“When things are harder for you to achieve, you value them more,” signals Ndongo. “I definitely feel like making it to the finals, it meant a lot to our team, especially since we went [through] some hard moments together.”
The Force clinched their nationals berth with a 7-0 win over Pickering in their season finale at George Nelms Sports Park.
“Very big moment for us, especially since OSU has a reputation of qualifying for nationals,” Ndongo adds. “We did have a bit of pressure on our backs knowing that if we don’t win this game, no nationals for us, but we [came] through with the win.”
Penalty-kicks were very unfriendly to OSU at the OPDL Gary Miller Charity Shield finals. The Force U15 boys also lost in PKs to Woodbridge, which qualified for five of the eight Charity Shield finals and won each one of them on their home Zanchin Automotive Soccer Centre Stadium turf.
Read More: Resilient OSU Force U15 boys return to championship final, stung by penalty-kicks again
Eldadah’s older brother Rafiq was captain for OSU’s U15 boys. He says he looks up to him and regularly receives encouragement to train, work out and push himself to keep improving.
Despite the disappointment of the final result, Eldadah said his teammates’ response after his red card was something he would remember. He was upset about being sent off, but the players came over to support him before returning their focus to the match.
For Eldadah, the final and the season that led to it will be remembered for more than a heartbreaking penalty-kicks defeat.
“Thirty years from now, you’re not gonna be looking back and thinking, oh, we lost the final,” he underlines. “We’re going to be looking back and thinking of all the late nights in the rain we were trained together, all the times we were there for each other, the huddle, the memories.”
OSU did celebrate one triumph at the 2026 Charity Shield finals. The Force U14 girls left nothing to chance in their championship game, taking down Aurora 4-0.
Read More: Injury-battered Ottawa South United Force find footing in time to claim Ontario playoff crown