The team has been entrusted with a new coach in the last two matches Manolo Dal Bo who directed the penultimate championship match in Calci on April 6 and the last one at the Comunale on April 13 against Staffoli. The ultras supporters did not participate in the two matches, to maintain the line of their dissent especially towards the club, an attitude also absorbed by the president of the club, above all to give tranquility to the team.
The results achieved by Dal Bo's men were a concrete response beyond the controversies and the 2-3 victory in Calci, repeated the following Sunday at home against Staffoli by 2-1, overturning the score both times, earned the right to the play off, and seems to have restored the feeling with the fans.
The standings see: Castilgioncello 60 points (promoted), Fornacette Casarossa 58, Acciaiolo 53, Selvatelle 52, and Fc Ponsacco 1920 51. The play-offs begin on April 27 with the knockout match between Fornacette Casarosa and Fc Ponsacco 1920. Host Fornacette will have a win or a draw to continue qualifying. For Ponsacco only a win counts, and in that case they would face the winner of the other final between Acciaiolo and Selvatelle.
Valdelsani sports director Antonio Vezzosi was confident on the eve: "We are coming into this important match in good shape. The team has worked hard in these three weeks. I want to thank the boys and the staff for this truly intense season". Apart from the suspended Signorini, who still has one match to serve, coach Marco Corsi should have everyone available.
Carrying a nation’s expectations on your shoulders can be a heavy burden but must be even harder if you are 16 and venturing to virgin territory
That is the pressure facing Zambian footballer Abel Kanyamuna he became the player from his nation to feature at any level in Italy
The defensive midfielder is on the books of the Serie A side Cagliari’s under-17 team and has his sights on climbing the ladder in Italy
A product of the Chipata Township in the Zambian capital Lusaka
Kanyamuna benefitted from his high school grades that earned him an academic scholarship to Italy
His gateway into Europe was the Ponsacco Football Academy in Italy
where he spent six months learning the language and taking his first steps in Italian football
He then spent six months at Serie C side U.S
“It was not easy coming straight from Zambia into Europe
I had to adapt very quickly and knew that if I lost focus
I would also lose the opportunity,” he says
“The language and the culture are different
I was lucky because the person I was staying with was also an English speaker so that made it easy for me somehow to understand Italian.”
Kanyamuna eventually caught the eye of Serie A club Empoli’s satellite side Santa Maria Empoli which is where Cagliari spotted him
who made his Zambia under-17 debut as a 15-year old in June 2017
considered other top Italian sides but found a home at Cagliari
about a month before the league started then I got my registration,” he explained
“The environment is good because I have found a lot of people who welcomed me warmly
“The league is very tough but I believe we can do more and reach a better
Kanyamuna is hopeful of playing for any of the Zambian junior teams
“If it does not interfere with my school I will definitely be available for Zambia,” he insisted
“I really want my school grades to remain good
But outside my school programs I would be hundred percent available.”
The teenager also pointed out that a lack of structured academies in Zambia hampers the development of many young players
“Many young players do not have the possibility to play at an organized academy,” he lamented
“If we could do such things for the whole of Zambia
we could have good future players who can perform in higher clubs
“A lot of young people do not know the use of football until they are older
People start playing football very late when it is hard to teach them new things.”
He is encouraged by the number of African players plying their in Italy
“The number of African players playing for top teams in Italy make it easy for me to realize how possible it is for me to realize my dream of playing for the first team of a Serie A side,” he says
Ponsacco Furniture: (23'st Marrocco) . Available: Campinotti, Di Giulio. Pini, Mariani, Pisani, Coach Bozzi
Certaldo: Gasparri, Pagliai, Usai, Borboryo, Lastrucci, Bettoni, Zefi, Cito, Oitana, Grillo (25' st Innocenti), Boumarouan: Available Mengoni, Piochi, Ciappi, Lebbaraa, Pieracci, Iasparrone, Cenni, CorsiS. Coach Corsi
Referee: Carnivals of Prato (Particelli-Finizzola)
Scorers: 9'pt Oitana on penalty, 50'st Boumarouan
Footnotes: A minute of silence in memory of Pope Francis Adm. Andreotti, Crecchi, Boumarouan: Corners: 7 to 3; Rec. 3' pt – 5' st. spectators 500
PONSACCO The descent of the rossoblu marked by the relegation from Serie D to Eccellenza in the 2023/24 championship had its sad epilogue also this season and for the Mobilieri Ponsacco the doors of the Promozione championship open due to the defeat in the play out match against Certaldo.
The Pagni di Peccioli pitch chosen by the rossoblu club, which had given positive signals against Viareggio and Fucecchio, this time gave greater technical consistency and energy to the team coached by Corsi who played for three quarters of the match.