Most special cup match for HFC player Cas Dijkstra: “Gives extra boost”

“These days I work as an account manager and I go to school one day a week,” says Cas Dijkstra about his new life. For three seasons his life consisted solely of football. The former Telstar player currently plays for HFC and football is ‘just’ an outlet. “In the beginning I had to get used to it, but now I really like it.”

Extra boost

Dijkstra is important this season for the second division team from Haarlem. As a striker he has already scored five goals in the competition. He was unable to score against Go Ahead Eagles yesterday, but the 22-year-old Alkmaarder thoroughly enjoyed the charged cup match at his own complex. “The atmosphere was very special. Normally it is not that busy here, but now there were about 1,500 supporters and that really gave an extra boost.”

Unfortunately, this boost did not result in a victory. Koninklijke HFC did very well against the number five of the premier league. Just before the end, a Haarlem stunt was in the air due to the goal by Yassine Bouchnafa, but in the closing seconds of the regular match the visitors from Deventer were again on level terms. In extra time, the professionals made the difference with three goals: 1-4.

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“Afterwards we sat in the dressing room with mixed feelings,” Dijkstra said a day later. “We were proud, but also disappointed that we could no longer hold on. On such an evening you see that other amateur clubs can do it against professional clubs, and we give it away in the last nine minutes of extra time.”

AFC

The elimination in the cup puts the focus back on the competition, where HFC is in fifth place. The confrontation with AFC awaits on Sunday. The Amsterdam team narrowly missed out on the title at the highest amateur level on the last match day last season. This year, AFC is doing a lot less well, in tenth position in the rankings.

“AFC should of course be higher and I think we are doing quite well,” said HFC’s attack leader. “We have lost quite a bit of quality compared to last season.” For example, top scorer Zakaria Eddahchouri left for Telstar. “A lot of young players in our team now and that produces mixed results, but we try to finish as high as possible.”

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Jonker vs. Prune

Dijkstra played a total of 62 matches for Telstar and scored six times. Especially under Andries Jonker, the all-rounder was almost always in the starting line-up. “If he had remained a trainer, I am sure my career would have turned out differently. For me, a very good trainer who gave me a lot of confidence.” When Jonker left Velsen-Zuid and handed over the baton to Mike Snoei, the situation changed for Dijkstra. “I fell by the wayside and lost the fun in football. I don’t want to go into too much detail about it.”

“If a great opportunity presents itself, I am open to it. Now I am really enjoying football again.” Dijkstra doesn’t know what his future looks like, but he mainly tries to enjoy what he has now. “I hope to remain active at the top of amateur football and often find the net. I also want to develop as a person and in my work.”