‘BIRDS’, ‘BUFFS’ IN NERVY STALEMATE

Sports Editor
(At Somhlolo National Stadium)

Young Buffaloes........................(1) 1,
Ndoda 30th
Mb. Swallows............................(0) 1,
Umukoro 55th

LOBAMBA – After keeping over 5 000 fans captivated for the whole 90 minutes of play with scintillating football, there was nothing to separate the two MTN League title chasers, Mbabane Swallows and Young Buffaloes here yesterday.

Like it happened on the opening day of the season on Sunday September 10, Young Buffaloes quicksilver striker Ndoda ‘Stomach’ Mthethwa gave the army side the lead, this time 15 minutes later than in the first leg encounter with a treacherous low shot after peeling off the shoulder of slower-than-a-snail defender, Stanley Umukoro at the half-hour mark. Swallows, who missed a catalogue of chances in the opening half with Buffaloes goalkeeper Nhlanhla Gwebu in brilliant form, equalised five minutes before the hour-mark with a glancing header by defender Umokoro who finished sublimely a Tony ‘TT’ Tsabedze gift-wrapped corner kick.

Buffaloes, on their own unbeaten league run this season stretching to 14 games, had started the game on the back-foot as Swallows peppered their danger-zone with incisive moves and from as early as the fifth minute, goalkeeper Nhlanhla Gwebu was called upon to fist away a Felix Badenhorst stupendous shot from a free-kick just outside the box.

Two minutes later, Gwebu pulled off another brilliant save to deny Tony Tsabedze who had latched onto a Wonder ‘Samba Jive’ Nhleko cross. As if deboned, Gwebu twisted like a snake on a hot desert sand to pull off one of his numerous brilliant saves of the day.

Then much against the run of play, like in the first leg, Ndoda struck. Picking a well-weighted pass from Sandile Gamedze, he peeled off the shoulder of a befuddled Swallows defender, Umukoro to beat former Manzini Wanderers teammate, goalkeeper Sandile ‘Nkomishi’ Ginindza with a low shot for his seventh goal of the campaign.

It was a typical goal poacher’s goal. Swallows were rattled but still their fans on the Western grand stand were in song and dance as if confident that their heroes were not about to end their unbeaten run and surrender the top log position to their nemesis.

Ten minutes into the second stanza, Umokoro made amends for his poor lapse in concentration in losing Ndoda Mthethwa in the first half, when he rose like a humming bird to head home a well-delivered Tony Tsabedze corner kick.

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: