Zola, The Final Word

The Apia Marconi Zola Challenge was played on the 29th December, 2006 at Marconi Stadium in front of an estimated 5,000 fans.

Gianfranco Zola truly showed his class (especially in the first half for Marconi) and displayed touches, passing and fitness that belies his age (40).

An immediate distinction was noticable between Zola and the players of both sides, as he showed glimpses of his former self - not bad for a man retired from professional football for over a year.

It needs to be said that Marconi surprisingly displayed some pretty decent football, with the final scoreline suggesting this (4-0). Having said that, Apia were disastrous in most aspects of the park, especially the non-existent midfield. A long season awaits them in the NSW Premier League this year i'm afraid.

What we all came to see didn't eventuate. Zola failed to score but truly impressed.

Kudos to the under 20s Marconi side who also played some nice football in the preliminary game.