Times Of Swaziland: WOUNDED VOVOVO FACE DEADLY MAMBA

WOUNDED VOVOVO FACE DEADLY MAMBA
================================================================================
BY LWAZI DLAMINI on 05/01/2022 08:33:00


After a promising start to the season, in which they played seven games without
defeat, Vovovo FC has lost two games in a row.
Their first taste of defeat came against a side that they really abhor losing to
– Manzini Wanderers, for obvious reasons. The 2-3 loss to the ‘Weslians’
at the Prince of Wales Sports ground on December 28 must have felt like a stab
in the heart, in particular to former director at Wanderers, Mehluli
Nhlengetfwa. Sunday’s 0-1 loss to Young Buffaloes  at KaLanga Technical Centre
did not only feel like a bagful of salt had been injected to the gashing wound
but it left the premier league returnees lying on the 10th position on the log
standings.
All this has happened immediately after the sad demise of the club founder Sipho
‘Tsetla’ Bhembe, who passed away on December 16 and was laid to rest on
Tuesday, December 21 at his parental home at Ngculwini. The Motshane-based
outfit is seemingly going through the motions currently and this afternoon face
a Green Mamba side, who are on their own revival mission after a poor run of
form. Before last Saturday’s 1-0 win over second-from-bottom Tambuti FC
courtesy of Linda Nkambule’s 42nd minute strike, Green Mamba had lost three
games in a row to Mbabane Highlanders (2-4), Royal Leopard (1-3) and Moneni
Pirates (1-2) respectively. Coach Dumsani ‘DU’ Makhanya, who took over from
Caleb Ngwenya, is desperately trying to find a winning combination with the
players at his disposal and the inconsistence is worrisome.
factors
Today’s clash against Vovovo has underlying factors aplenty. Vovovo FC head
coach Caleb Ngwenya will be facing his former employers and given his
unceremonious exit from the ‘Correctional Services’ side, nothing would
please him more than inflicting their fourth defeat and leapfrog them to as high
as position six on the log standings. Makhanya, on the other hand, will be
presented with the platform to convince the powers-that-be at Green Mamba that
he is the man for the job by beating the man he replaced. Then of course, there
is a smallernyana matter of any team that wins today’s clash rising up to the
sixth position on the log standings. It is enough incentive to afford the fans
who will cascade to the venue to be treated to an enthralling clash.
Mxolisi ‘Xavi’ Mkhontfo, who has been one of the consistent performers in an
underwhelming Green Mamba side will lead the attacking forays against a team
coached by the man who has been involved in his football career path since
childhood. Former Mbabane Highlanders striker Sibusiso Tfwala, already with four
goals under his belt, will be hoping to add to his goal tally and help the
Motshane-based outfit end the losing streak. Wounded Vovovo FC against a
poisonous Green Mamba? Hmmm ... an exciting clash which is the pending game from
‘Week 7 ’– which was postponed after the demise of Vovovo FC director
‘Tsetla’ Bhembe - is on the cards.