Times Of Swaziland: CAN WESLIANS DAMPEN BUFFS JOY?

CAN WESLIANS DAMPEN BUFFS JOY?
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BY LWAZI DLAMINI on 26/05/2021 08:28:00


Still on cloud nine after annexing the first round E350 000 ‘carrot’ Young
Buffaloes face a Manzini Wanderers who played no small part in their well
deserved riches last Saturday.
It was the ‘Weslians’ who forced a goalless draw against Royal Leopard and
blew the police side’s E350 000 first round incentive hopes high into the
Nhlangano blue skies in a fiercely contested encounter here at the iconic
stadium on Saturday. Buffaloes then did the business against Manzini Sea Birds,
beating the Gcina Dlamini-coached side 2-0 to clinch the E350 000 incentive. Now
the army side come up against the side which did them a huge favour.
When the two sides met in the first round, on April 5 at the Mavuso Sports
Centre, ‘Amathole Ezinyathi’ cruised to a 3-1 victory which saw them assume
pole position for the first time. That commanding 3-1 victory was set up by a
Wanderers defender, Mpendulo Magagula, who stabbed the ball into his own net a
minute before half-time. Wanderers coach, Nyanga ‘Crooks’ Hlophe will be
hoping his defence will have the same high concentration levels they exhibited
when they thwarted the waves of Leopard attacks here last Saturday. The
defensive duo of Mthunzi Motsa and Thami Zulu were simply impregnable and so was
the agility of goalkeeper Mcolisi Dlamini who even won the ‘man of the
match’ award after some stupendous saves.
The acrobatic Mcolisi would need to be in that good form against the highest
scoring side in the league in the army outfit who have rattled the net 33 times
in 15 games. Towering striker Phiwa Dlamini remains the biggest threat as he
will be looking at adding to his 13th goal tally today having also scored in the
2-0 win over Sea Birds last Saturday. Wanderers, real threat upfront is the
forceful Fabrice Mopina, whose incisive off-the-ball runs will keep Buffaloes
defence, which has also let in the lowest number of goals in the league (only
eight goals), busy this afternoon. Hlophe will probably throw in Njabulo Magongo
and Majahesibili Ndlovu, who scored Wanderers 66th minute consolation goal in
the 1-3 loss back on April 5. This clash which will raise the curtain for
another tricky clash pitting Pirates against Swallows couldn’t be more fitting
dress rehearsal for the tasty midweek clashes the opening second round of the
league have thrown at us.