Adelaide United’s epic semi-final clash against Melbourne City in April 2016 was evenly poised before Bruce Djite’s mesmerising strike sent Coopers Stadium into jubilation while the nervousness in the atmosphere immediately abated.
With the score locked at 0-0 after a tense first-half, Adelaide came out firing after the interval and on 48 minutes Djite dispatched a sensational curling strike from outside the box.
The ball fell kindly to him after a City defender dispossessed Marcelo Carrusca and the then 29-year-old took full advantage with his effort bending into the top corner.
It was his 10th goal since mid-January as his blistering form continued after previously going 11 months without scoring.
The striker would complete his brace on the hour mark, successfully converting a penalty.
Guillermo Amor’s side would ultimately prevail 4-1 courtesy of a rampant second-half display and earn the right to host the Grand Final for the first time.
“Honestly I remember it very clearly even today,” Djite recollected.
“When I went to it, I thought you know what, I’ll aim it just outside the post because it will come back a little bit.
“So just in the last split second I opened up my foot just that little bit more, obviously (Thomas) Sørensen is a fantastic ‘keeper.
“I thought if it’s not completely in the corner, he’ll probably save it being a little bit further out.
“I remember hitting it pretty clean, I remember it going in I was pumped.
“The celebration was what it was, we were a very tight-knit group then and I found it exceptionally important to celebrate with all my teammates.
“So if I could get everyone over to the bench that was the whole idea.”
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