Sihlangu annihilated

The Nation’s pride has experienced dark days in its away matches but yesterday’s disastrous 6-2 massacre clearly demonstrated that what started as a dip in the COSAFA Senior Challenge Cup has suddenly become an abyss. The sad memories of the 6-0 defeat away in Ghana at the hands of a Emmanual Adebayor which Togo in the World Cup qualifiers two years ago came flooding back as Ephraem ‘Shakes’ Mashaba and his boys were out-played, outfoxed and out-thought by two different set of first Eleven sent by Bafana Bafana head coach, Carlos Alberto Perreira in both halves.

If anything, had Parreira used the Teko Modise captained first eleven, which tore Sihlangu porous as a sieve defence to shreds, the score line would have reached double figures.

To his squad’s credit, Shakes Mashaba’s boys did stand their ground in the second half but they only threatened in sporadic attacks with a defence that fell apart like walls of Jericho with each passing move, they could not have matched the quick thinking South Africans who proved to be tactically and technically superior in every department over the local boys.

With Mduduzi ‘Street Dance’ Sibiya ruled out by an injury before kick-off, Shakes Mashaba brought in Mhlambanyatsi Rovers defender, Lwazi ‘Shana’ Maziya in the place of Zakhele Manyatsi but with Sihawu Dlamini, who picked a late red-card, seemingly overawed by the occassion, committing schoolboy errors, it was like flashing red flag in front of a raging Spanish Bulls to the South Africans who were eager to impress coach, Perreira ahead of the World Cup in June.

From as early as the time it takes to boil an egg, exactly three minutes, Orlando Pirates striker, Gert Schalkwayk picked a defence splitting pass from the impressive Kaizer Chiefs midfielder, Letsholonyane Reneilwe, which exposed Sihawu’s tortoise pace, leaving Schalkwayk, with the simple task of looping the ball over the advancing goalkeeper, Thokozani Mkhulusi, who had the worst performance in a national team jersey.

With a crowd of over 10 000 people they only started cheering when the quick passes of Perreira’s boys began when Schalkwayk was picked by the mercurial Teko Modise, who was in an off side position, and with hesitant defender, Mpendulo ‘Baiano’ Kunene failing to clear his lines, the diminutive striker slotted the ball home.
The sirens of doom could be heard from as far away as Mbabane and the 200 or so Swazi supporters who had been singing their lungs out became as quiet as a graveyard when Kaltego Mphela added the third goal in the 37th minute after being given the freedom of the Chartsworth Stadium, side-footing Mkhulisi before firing the ball into the net.

Mashaba realised his defence needed super glue. We witnessed the horror of horrors when he pulled out hardworking Lwazi ‘Shana’ Maziya - sparing the out of sorts Sihawu - and brought in Zakhele Manyatsi, not the quicket defenders you can find.
A holidaying Mzwandile Ndzimandze was pulled out for the more foreceful Taribo Bhembe and slowly Sihlangu began to find their footing. Bhembe made an immediate impact combined with Dennis ‘Yuki’ Masina, who played his heart out, and the Orlando Pirates midfielder beat Itumeleng Khune with a rasping shot to give the score line some respectability.

With Perreira bringing a completely new team, Sihlangu began to take the game to the opposition. There was a quick counter-attack when the dimunitive Andile Jali picked the on-rushing Franklin Cale with an exquisite blind pass which left Sihlangu defence as wide open as the Red Sea in Moses’ behest in biblical times and a blistering shot which beat goalkeeper, Njabuliso Simelane hands down a minute after he had just come in for the out-of-sorts Mkhulisi in the 52nd minute.

Simelane then pulled off what was the save of the day, three minutes later with a brilliant one hand save after a humdinger Cale shot inside the box following another quick counter-attack by the host.
Then shockingly, Stopper Mthethwa, who had a poor first half but was beginning to exert his influence in the game was pulled off for Badenhorst in the 60th minute and when Siza ‘King Pele’ Dlamini picked a suicidal Matthew Booth back pass to make it 4-2,  Sihlangu’s come back look probable.

But the Mamelodi Sundowns forceful winger, Cale had other ideas, grabbing his brace in the 66th minute after a swift counter-attack left Sihlangu’s weak defence in tatters. Hekenyane raced through and then laid the ball for Cale whose rasping piledriver proved too fast and too deceptive for the badly positioned Njabuliso Simelane. Sihlangu’s long and crippling tunnel became even darker.

Goalkeeper, Njabuliso was called upon to make two brilliant saves in the 71st minute from the boot of Mathew Pattison and Segolela in the 74th minute after Sihawu had seen red for second bookable offence, a hopsital tackle on the dangerous Cale, who had to be taken out a minute later.

When Ntimane’s own goal had the lucky of second assistant referee, Thulani Gumede ruling it off-side with seven minutes left, it looked like Bafana Bafana would spare Sihlangu more blushes but only for Thulani Serero’s deflected shot to make it Six Mabone for the host and sent Mashaba and his boys crashing again like a lead baloon leaving the former Bafana Bafana coach openly admitting his team is not good enough. The gulf in class, was clearly evident yesterday and no wonder SAFA preferred the game to remain a ‘practice match’ - and nothing more.
TEAMS:
South Africa - Khune, Morgan, Sangweni, Gaxa, Lucas, Lance, Reneilwe, Modise, Tshabalala, Schalkwyk, Mphela
Second half team - Baron, Booth, Cale, Hekenyane, Jali, Khuboni, Bongani, Mbuyane, Mdledle, Nthethe, Pattison

Referee - Matthew Dyer
Assistants - Joel Morjane and Thulani Gumede
Fourth official - Zwelibanzi Nkosi
Match Commissioner - Robert Pillay
                  STATISTICS
South Africa    Swaziland
6         Corner kicks        7
9         Shots on target           5
8         Shots off target           8
SAVE OF THE MATCH
Njabuliso Simelane’s 56th minute brilliant save from Cale’s blistering shot 25 yards out was out of this world. What a shot, what a save!
GOAL OF THE MATCH
Franklin Cale’s treacherous shot which beat Njabuliso hands down was a stunner in the 53rd minute.
MAN OF THE MATCH
Franklin Cale; He came in and made an impact, grabbing a brace before Sihawu’s hospital tackle ended his day of reckoning.

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