PICTURE: Molham Babouli, 26, stepped into the FC Ukraine United line-up for the first time on Sunday night and promptly deposited four goals into the Brantford Galaxy net. Not surprising, following the striker’s sparkling domestic career that has taken the attacking midfielder from the Dixie Soccer Club in Mississauga to university soccer, to Toronto FC II, the Canadian U-23 team and Mississauga MetroStars of the U.S.-based Major Arena Soccer League.
New signing Molham Babouli, playing his first game for FC Ukraine United, had a field day with four goals in a 5-0 victory over Brantford Galaxy and Kingsman A squeezed past Hamilton City 3-2, two games in the Canadian Soccer League First Division Sunday.
Forward Sviatoslav Dziadykevych opened the scoring for Ukraine United at 16 minutes, collecting a pass from Babouli to find the net past Brantford goalkeeper Ognjeh Savic.
Babouli made it 2-0 at 34 minutes, picking up the ball from defender Ivan Kvcherenko and it was 2-0 at the break.
Babouli made it 3-0 at 62 minutes, taking a pass from Pavlo Lukianets to drive into the net, and the Canadian under-23 international completed his hat-trick at 76 minutes, heading in a right wing cross from Lukianets for a 4-0 lead by the home side.
Babouli struck his fourth goal one minute later for a 5-0 score which held until the final whistle.
Ukraine United improve to 7-5-2 WLT for 23 points in fourth position in the standings and clinch a spot in the CSL Championship post-season playoffs with FC Vorkuta, Scarborough SC, Serbian White Eagles and SC Waterloo. There are three playoff positions still to be won. Brantford Galaxy remain at the foot of the table with a 2-11-1 record for 7 points.
Playing his first game for Ukraine United, Babouli played his earlier soccer for Dixie Soccer Club in Mississauga, Georgia Perimeter College in Atlanta, and Sheridan College in Oakville before signing for Toronto FC II to score 26 goals and winning the Golden Boot. Babouli became best known, however, playing for Canada’s U-23 and scoring a one on one against Brazilian goalkeeper Andrey Da Silva in the Pan American Games in 2015. In recent times, Babouli has been a prominent player with the Mississauga MetroStars, of the Major Arena Soccer League for which he continues as an active player.
Forward Sayid Belmokhtar opened the scoring at 39 minutes for Kingsman A, his seventh of the season, against Hamilton City at Esther Shiner Stadium and midfielder Dmytro Polyuhanych increased the lead to 2-0 right on halftime, his eighth goal of the season. Forward Viktor Raskov gave the home side a 3-0 lead at 58 minutes.
Hamilton City fought back in the second half, a rally that paid off with two goals when defender Vukasin Kovacevic cut the lead to 3-1 at 69 minutes and Pani Sarkis added a second for Hamilton to further reduce the lead to 3-2 at the 82nd minute mark, a score that held to the final whistle.
Kingsman A has a 6-7-1 record for 19 points in sixth position, while Hamilton City is at 3-7-3 for 12 points in seventh position.
UPCOMING MIDWEEK SECOND DIVISION GAMES
Tues. Sept 10 Ontario Soccer Centre 9 pm CSC Mississauga B vs Hamilton City B
Wed. Sep 11 Ontario Soccer Centre 9 pm Kingsman B vs Serbian White Eagles B
Wed. Sep 11 Cardinal Newman 9 pm Brantford Galaxy B vs FC Vorkuta B