Al-Ansar v Safa (1st v 2nd). 
Sunday 16/05/1999. "Beirut Municipal Stadium". 4:30pm. 21st Week.

Illustrious defending league champions Al-Ansar are very much poised to write history on Sunday: Just a draw with runners-up Safa will enable the mighty club of Beirut to be hailed as the first club to record an unprecedented 11th league trophy in succession, the world over. 

The club managed toa 4-points gap over their closest league challengers, Safa, last week, following their away (2-1) victory over third-placed Tadamon Sour, while Safa were presumably driven out from the challenge race after going to yet another defeat, this time a (2-0) defeat at the hands of Nejmeh, unless... 

Unless the unthinkable would took place on Sunday...A surprising win for Safa would force the destiny of the league trophy to get sealed to the very last kick of the season, the 22nd week, closing the gap to just one point behind the runaway league leaders. 

But Al-Ansar, it should be mentioned, are currently in an unstoppable fashion: Ever since Safa took the pole position of the league table midway through last month (19th week) after disposing of Homenetmen (2-0), the reigning league champions didn't look back, amassing 2 consecutive victories in the league, qualifying to the FA Cup finals at the expense of Safa, and better still...showing signs of composure, effectiveness and true professionalism when it mattered most -- at a very crucial phase of their league campaign. 

Nevertheless, this fixture remains one of the principal highlights of the football domestic season. Both sides boast many international players, star-studded home and foreign top footballers, and the game itself promised to be a fabulous cracker. 

Al-Ansar enter the game with a clear psychological boost in their side, after beating their arch-rivals Safa (2-1) in the FA Cup semi-finals stage, following a game full of passion and drama. 

Safa, who sent clear signs of weakness and lack of sheer determination, were disappointing losers in the latest two weeks of the league championship, going down (3-1) away to Tadamon Sour, (2-0) to Nejmeh, and in-between, defeated by their sworn enemy Al-Ansar in the FA Cup. 

Should the club went down again to Al-Ansar next Sunday, this could bring cause for concern. And the club's administration authority will have a great work to deal with in the foreseeable future, if to bring the side one again to the limelight of domestic football scene. 

So, will it be a new world record at the football scene, deservedly achieved by local giants Al-Ansar, or will Safa be able to force yet another week of passion, thrill and drama till the last kick of the league season? May the better side win?

By "World Soccer" Magazine Reporter, Mohamed Chbaro.