By Max Fletcher
Days after scoring the goal that helped Cambridge win promotion to the Lotto NRFL Men’s Championship, teenager winger Rahim Nabizada is still processing its impact.
“To have scored the match-winning goal and get this club promoted is unreal. It still hasn’t sunk in,” Nabizada says.
His 66th-minute goal against Waiheke United gave Cambridge back-to-back 1-0 victories in the home-and-away promotion play-off series between the winners of the Lotto NRFL Men’s Northern and Southern Conferences.
Main photo: Goalscorer Rahim Nabizada disappears beneath a mass of teammates and supporters after scoring his crucial goal. Photo: Shane Wenzlick / Phototek.
Nabizada came through the Cambridge youth ranks, making his first team debut last year when the Reds narrowly missed out on the Southern Conference title, blowing their hopes of gaining promotion.
“Just to see how much it meant to the boys and the club is crazy,” he said.
“We tried last year and came so close to the title, and this year we did it, and, yeah, I can’t quite believe it all.”
In 2025, Cambridge will go into the Championship that will have four Waikato clubs, with Melville United and Hamilton Wanderers relegated from this year’s Northern League, and Ngaruawahia United who cam third in this season’s competition.
“I am really confident we can compete in the Championship. We have a good bunch of players and we know we will be able to compete in that league next year,” Nabizada said.
The rivalry between the Waikato clubs will spark increased interest in derby games.
On average, there’ll be at least one Waikato derby every three weeks.
Here are next year’s participating clubs in the Lotto NRFL Men’s Championship:
- Melville United (relegated from Northern League)
- Hamilton Wanderers (relegation from Northern League)
- Manukau United
- Ngaruawahia United
- Hibiscus Coast
- Northern Rovers
- Onehunga Mangere United
- Ellerslie
- Mt Albert Ponsonby
- North Shore United
- Takapuna
- Cambridge (promoted)
READ MORE: Cambridge seal promotion with play-off win against Waiheke United >>>>
Results
Lotto NRFL Men’s Conference Final
Game played on Saturday September 14, 2024
First leg
Cambridge 1 (Jack Connor 5′)
Waiheke United 0
Game played on Saturday September 21, 2024
Second leg
Waiheke United 0
Cambridge 1 (Rahim Nabizada 66′)
*Cambridge win 2-0 on aggregate over two legs
Max Fletcher
Waikato-based Max Fletcher is a writer for Friends of Football. He’s also a qualified football and futsal referee.
This story was first published on September 24, 2024.
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