SANDANEZWE HANDS SIMBA EMPHATIC WIN

Sports Editor
(At National Stadium
In Tanzania)
Courtesy of Eswatini Mobile

Simba Sports Club………..(2) 4
Bocco 5th, 30th, Kagere 84th, Chama 89th
Mbabane Swallows……….(1) 1,
Nzambe 23rd

DAr ES SALAAM – A sleek Tanzania’s Simba Sports Club took advantage of some goalkeeping howlers by Mbabane Swallows first choice goal minder, Sandanezwe Mathabela to cruise to an emphatic 4-1 win in a preliminary round CAF Champions League clash here yesterday.

Mathabela, going through his leanest spell since he joined Swallows from Manzini Sundowns, had a nightmarish game he would like to forget in a hurry. Besides conceding a 30th minute penalty when he fouled Ugandan striker, Emmanual Okwi inside the box, leading to the penalty converted by two goal hero John Bocco, Mathabela’s goalkeeping howler six minutes from time, diminished any chances of Swallows forcing a draw.

The second goalkeeping blunder from the off-form shot stopper came at a time when Swallows were desperately looking for an equaliser. A back pass by second substitute Richard Mccreesh, saw Mathabela fumbling the ball, handing an early Christmas gift to Kagere Medie, who took the loose ball and fired into the empty net.

Reception

Swallows, at this stage, had done enough to keep the marauding Simba Sports Club forwards led by Ugandan striker Emmanuel Okwi, and the irrepressible captain John Bocco inspite of having gone behind as early as the fifth minute. Five minutes after the Simba Sports Club multi-millionaire owner, Mohammed Dweji, owner of the MeTL group of companies, had received a rousing reception from the fans as he took his seat in the VIP box, Simba took the lead.

Brace hero John Bocco, leading by example, tapped home easily a cross from Nicholas Gyan on the right flank, after Swallows defence was caught ball-watching or even admiring the specious and artistic 60 000-seater national stadium which was half-empty yesterday.

When Okwi saw his shot go agonisingly wide five minutes later, a jittery Swallows goalkeeper, Sandanezwe Mathabela sent shivers down the spine of stand-in coach Kinnah Phiri, when he almost spilt a harmless looking shot from Zambian international Clatouis Chama in the 12th minute.

Scintillating

With midfield maestro, Njabulo ‘D4D’ Ndlovu taking charge of the belly of the park with some scintillating display, Swallows found their way back into the game. It came as no surprise when Gabonese left full back, Guevane Nzambe scored a stunning goal in the 23rd minute, unleashing a cracker from the edge of the box after Samba defender, Erastp Nyoni’s clearance from a Njabulo Ndlovu cross fell on his path. It was a goal that can easily stand as a contender for the 2019 CAF Champions League games, had there been any.

Then came a rush of blood in goalkeeper, Sandanezwe on the half-hour mark when he hacked striker Emmanuel Okwi inside the box leaving Burundian referee, Pacifique Ndabihawenimana with no choice but to point to the spot kick.
Captain John Bocco converted with the coolness of a cucumber.

Mathabela, to his credit, did well to save brilliantly a point blank shot from Chama inside the box two minutes before the recess.
Swallows could have scored the equaliser six minutes into the second half but winger Wonder ‘Samba Jive’ Nhleko, saw his rasping shot go agonizingly wide after being dispatched by Sandile Hlatshwako with a defence freezing pass.

Struggling

Coach Kinnah Phiri made two quick changes, bringing in Richard Mcreesh for a struggling Xolani ‘Papi’ Sikhondze, Sizolwethu Shabalala for an off-form Tarawallie Sallieu. Sizolwethu did well in the 78th minute, cutting through the defence on the right flank like a hot knife through butter but instead of laying a pass to the unmarked Wonder Nhleko, decided to go for glory, hitting the side-net much to the chagrin of the Yanga FC motley group of supporters who were backing Swallows against their bitter rivals.

Then six minutes before time, Sandanezwe committed a goalkeeping howler that would have shamed even the comical former Manchester United French keeper, Barthez when he fumbled a back pass from Mccreesh, leaving the ball unattended, thus allowing the quick thinking Kagere to finish off what was a perfect Christmas gift 27 days before Mary’s baby boy, Jesus Christ was born.

Captain John Bocco glancing header hit the upright two minutes later as Swallows defence fell apart like the biblical Red Sea at Moses behest. The final nail in Swallows coffin was hit by the talented Zambian international Chama, who finished off with a low shot stretching the hapless Mathabela to the limit.

It provoked untold scenes of jubilation inside the artistic venue as Simba FC, who last participated in the CAF Champions league five years ago, managed to hit four goals like the other Tanzanian team, Morogoro’ Mbitwa Sugar, who trashed Seychelles Northern Dynamos 4-0 at the Chamazi Complex here in Dar es Salaam in a CAF Confederation Cup clash on Tuesday afternoon.

For Eswatini, it was a gloomy week as Young Buffaloes also lost 2-0 away to Zambia’s Green Eagles in the CAF Confederation Cup clash on Tuesday.

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