Times Of Swaziland: SIX MABONE

SIX MABONE
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Sanele Jele on 28/02/2022 08:41:00


MBABANE – Eswatini CAF envoys Royal Leopard squandered a 2-0 lead to lose 6-2
against Orlando Pirates.
This was during the first leg of the CAF Confederation Cup which was played at
Mbombela Stadium last night. The game was played amid protests by some members
of Swaziland Liberation Movement (SWALIMO) and some Swazis in Diaspora, who
tried to block the police side from entering the Mpumalanga-based venue. After
the intervention of South Africa police, Leopard were allowed into the venue.
The win takes Pirates top of Group B, two points ahead of Al-Ittihad, who have
played a game less while the Edwin Matsebula-led charges are still rooted at the
bottom with no point after two games.
raced
Leopard shocked the Buccaneers as they raced into an early 2-0 lead. In the
fifth minute, Happy Jele conceded a corner. The corner was delivered and it was
headed out to Mzwandile Mabelesa, who buried the ball from the right side of the
box into the bottom right corner to make it 1-0 in five minutes. The lead was
doubled just two minutes later, when Mancoba Maseko delivered into the box for
Thabiso Mokenkoane, who headed with a glancing header into the bottom left
corner, 2-0. Pirates immediately went in search of an equaliser as Deon Hotto
chipped over the Leopard defence to locate Kwame Peprah, whose shot was blocked
by the keeper.
The Buccaneers pulled one back in the 10 minutes from the half-hour mark when
Kabelo Dlamini’s ball into the box was deflected into the Leopard net by
Machawe Dlamini. Ingwe Mabalabala then won a free-kick in a promising position.
Andy Junior Magagula curled the set-piece towards the near post and it was kept
out by a brilliant save from Siyabonga Mpontshane. Soon after, Shandu equalised
for Pirates with his third goal in two CAF Confederation Cup matches when he ran
onto a defence-splitting ball from Hotto and slotted clinically into the bottom
left corner.
The 1995 CAF Champions League winners went in front right on the stroke of
half-time when Peprah headed home with Hotto once again the provider to cap a
frenetic first-half. The Soweto giants were clearly dominant in the early
exchanges of the second half and made it 4-2 in the four minutes from the hour
mark. Sifiso Matse gave away the free-kick and Hotto’s delivery was headed in
by captain Jele, who was mobbed by his teammates.
vindicated
Dlamini vindicated his inclusion in the starting line-up when he cut inside from
the right and arrowed the ball into the top right corner and curled a sumptuous
effort into the far corner on the hour mark for the fifth. Pirates were running
rampant and made it a four-goal advantage with 10 minutes to go. The Buccaneers
countered quickly and Peprah showed his vision as he played a superb pass for
Terrence Dzvukamanja, whose left-footed shot found the bottom right corner to
complete the rout. The defending champions will arrive home today and focus will
be on the league as they face Mbabane Highlanders on Wednesday in the E200 000
first round decider to be played at Mavuso.