Spicy matchup

Pakistan Shaheens' utility Hasib Qureshi vies with Masala's Sam Freeman in the inaugural Masalapaki Cup. 121813 Picture: JARROD POTTER

By JARROD POTTER

VICTORIAN AMATEUR FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION – Masalapaki Cup

INDIA and Pakistan have never been on the same page internationally, but thankfully the Victorian football community, and two representative teams of ex-pats, are able to put the past behind them.
Dandenong based Masala Football Club – formed originally from the Indian Tigers International Cup team – hosted the Pakistan Shaheens on Saturday for a hit-out before the upcoming tournament.
The match was played at a frenetic pace, with both Tigers and Shaheens flying through the midfield to give the ball lace-out to the forwards.
Masala’s Jordan Toitalkin lit up the field as he gathered countless possessions and found his way forward to drill a couple of goals while Jarred Aoun and Ryan Harrop also claimed the hard-ball through the centre when it mattered most.
The inaugural Masalapaki Cup was claimed by the Tigers with a 17.15 (117) to 7.9 (51) win over the Shaheens.
The win will help Masala build confidence before its next Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA) clash in the Club XVIII (1) competition against Prahran Assumption on Saturday from 11.40am at Righetti Oval, Kooyong.
Teams from across the world will descend on Melbourne in August for the 2014 AFL International Cup, held from 9-23 August.