Mission accomplished. GAIS only drew 1-1 this week against Öster, busting up their three-game win streak since Kees Sims has been starting, but that draw was all they needed to confirm third place with a round to spare and with it qualification to the Europa Conference League next year.
This was a bonkers game between a couple of close rivals. Sims got away with an early one when he tried to punch a corner away but couldn’t get through traffic and then saw a header come back off the post. GAIS took the lead midway through the first half but conceded five minutes before half-time when their defence didn’t deal with a low ball into the area. GAIS hit the crossbar during the second half. Sims made a couple good low saves. GAIS had a runaway in the dying seconds to win the match but and ÖIF defender said nah bro and took a red card for a lunging last man tackle instead. It therefore ended in a slightly controversial draw but the celebrations ensued just the same.
This club was playing in the third tier in 2022. Since then they’ve had consecutive promotions followed by a sixth place finish last year upon their return to the Allsvenskan and now a bronze medal effort. The last time they had a season this successful was in 1989 which was also when they last qualified for continental action (because of the timing of the Swedish seasons, it was the 1990-91 UEFA Cup that they qualified for). The last time they finished better than third in the Allsvenskan was when they won the championship way back in 1954. Kees Sims was the backup keeper for most of the season yet when they needed him to step up across the past month, after Mergim Krasniqi’s shoulder injury, he’s done exactly that.
What happens next remains to be seen. Krasniqi and Sims are both under contract for a few more years so if Sims has got the bug and wants to keep starting games it’ll probably need to be somewhere else - there’s also chat about their coach getting poached away so there’s quite a bit that could be up in the air around this wider situation. But that’s something to worry about later. In the meantime, he’s got one more game this season away against Malmö and then after that it’s off to link up with the All Whites in search of an international debut (and maybe even a spot in the World Cup squad next year if he does well enough).
This is his first proper call-up, although pretty sure he sat on the bench for the senior squad when China came to Aotearoa in 2023 and Sims was part of a corresponding U23s squad. Regardless, this call-up has been long overdue for a bloke playing (albeit sporadically) at a level that’s only recently been matched by Alex Paulsen and Max Crocombe.
Mission accomplished. GAIS only drew 1-1 this week against Öster, busting up their three-game win streak since Kees Sims has been starting, but that draw was all they needed to confirm third place with a round to spare and with it qualification to the Europa Conference League next year.
This was a bonkers game between a couple of close rivals. Sims got away with an early one when he tried to punch a corner away but couldn’t get through traffic and then saw a header come back off the post. GAIS took the lead midway through the first half but conceded five minutes before half-time when their defence didn’t deal with a low ball into the area. GAIS hit the crossbar during the second half. Sims made a couple good low saves. GAIS had a runaway in the dying seconds to win the match but and ÖIF defender said nah bro and took a red card for a lunging last man tackle instead. It therefore ended in a slightly controversial draw but the celebrations ensued just the same.
This club was playing in the third tier in 2022. Since then they’ve had consecutive promotions followed by a sixth place finish last year upon their return to the Allsvenskan and now a bronze medal effort. The last time they had a season this successful was in 1989 which was also when they last qualified for continental action (because of the timing of the Swedish seasons, it was the 1990-91 UEFA Cup that they qualified for). The last time they finished better than third in the Allsvenskan was when they won the championship way back in 1954. Kees Sims was the backup keeper for most of the season yet when they needed him to step up across the past month, after Mergim Krasniqi’s shoulder injury, he’s done exactly that.
What happens next remains to be seen. Krasniqi and Sims are both under contract for a few more years so if Sims has got the bug and wants to keep starting games it’ll probably need to be somewhere else - there’s also chat about their coach getting poached away so there’s quite a bit that could be up in the air around this wider situation. But that’s something to worry about later. In the meantime, he’s got one more game this season away against Malmö and then after that it’s off to link up with the All Whites in search of an international debut (and maybe even a spot in the World Cup squad next year if he does well enough).
This is his first proper call-up, although pretty sure he sat on the bench for the senior squad when China came to Aotearoa in 2023 and Sims was part of a corresponding U23s squad. Regardless, this call-up has been long overdue for a bloke playing (albeit sporadically) at a level that’s only recently been matched by Alex Paulsen and Max Crocombe.
Unknown editoredited November 05, 2025 08:34
Back in the day when they were in the lower divisions I think Craig Henderson, Dan Keat & Steven Old all had time at GAIS.
Niche Cache.
Mission accomplished. GAIS only drew 1-1 this week against Öster, busting up their three-game win streak since Kees Sims has been starting, but that draw was all they needed to confirm third place with a round to spare and with it qualification to the Europa Conference League next year.
This was a bonkers game between a couple of close rivals. Sims got away with an early one when he tried to punch a corner away but couldn’t get through traffic and then saw a header come back off the post. GAIS took the lead midway through the first half but conceded five minutes before half-time when their defence didn’t deal with a low ball into the area. GAIS hit the crossbar during the second half. Sims made a couple good low saves. GAIS had a runaway in the dying seconds to win the match but and ÖIF defender said nah bro and took a red card for a lunging last man tackle instead. It therefore ended in a slightly controversial draw but the celebrations ensued just the same.
This club was playing in the third tier in 2022. Since then they’ve had consecutive promotions followed by a sixth place finish last year upon their return to the Allsvenskan and now a bronze medal effort. The last time they had a season this successful was in 1989 which was also when they last qualified for continental action (because of the timing of the Swedish seasons, it was the 1990-91 UEFA Cup that they qualified for). The last time they finished better than third in the Allsvenskan was when they won the championship way back in 1954. Kees Sims was the backup keeper for most of the season yet when they needed him to step up across the past month, after Mergim Krasniqi’s shoulder injury, he’s done exactly that.
What happens next remains to be seen. Krasniqi and Sims are both under contract for a few more years so if Sims has got the bug and wants to keep starting games it’ll probably need to be somewhere else - there’s also chat about their coach getting poached away so there’s quite a bit that could be up in the air around this wider situation. But that’s something to worry about later. In the meantime, he’s got one more game this season away against Malmö and then after that it’s off to link up with the All Whites in search of an international debut (and maybe even a spot in the World Cup squad next year if he does well enough).
This is his first proper call-up, although pretty sure he sat on the bench for the senior squad when China came to Aotearoa in 2023 and Sims was part of a corresponding U23s squad. Regardless, this call-up has been long overdue for a bloke playing (albeit sporadically) at a level that’s only recently been matched by Alex Paulsen and Max Crocombe.
