CAN WESLIANS DAMPEN BUFFS JOY?

Still on cloud nine after annexing the first round E350 000 ‘carrot’ Young Buffaloes face a Manzini Wanderers who played no small part in their well deserved riches last Saturday.

It was the ‘Weslians’ who forced a goalless draw against Royal Leopard and blew the police side’s E350 000 first round incentive hopes high into the Nhlangano blue skies in a fiercely contested encounter here at the iconic stadium on Saturday. Buffaloes then did the business against Manzini Sea Birds, beating the Gcina Dlamini-coached side 2-0 to clinch the E350 000 incentive. Now the army side come up against the side which did them a huge favour.

When the two sides met in the first round, on April 5 at the Mavuso Sports Centre, ‘Amathole Ezinyathi’ cruised to a 3-1 victory which saw them assume pole position for the first time. That commanding 3-1 victory was set up by a Wanderers defender, Mpendulo Magagula, who stabbed the ball into his own net a minute before half-time. Wanderers coach, Nyanga ‘Crooks’ Hlophe will be hoping his defence will have the same high concentration levels they exhibited when they thwarted the waves of Leopard attacks here last Saturday. The defensive duo of Mthunzi Motsa and Thami Zulu were simply impregnable and so was the agility of goalkeeper Mcolisi Dlamini who even won the ‘man of the match’ award after some stupendous saves.

The acrobatic Mcolisi would need to be in that good form against the highest scoring side in the league in the army outfit who have rattled the net 33 times in 15 games. Towering striker Phiwa Dlamini remains the biggest threat as he will be looking at adding to his 13th goal tally today having also scored in the 2-0 win over Sea Birds last Saturday. Wanderers, real threat upfront is the forceful Fabrice Mopina, whose incisive off-the-ball runs will keep Buffaloes defence, which has also let in the lowest number of goals in the league (only eight goals), busy this afternoon. Hlophe will probably throw in Njabulo Magongo and Majahesibili Ndlovu, who scored Wanderers 66th minute consolation goal in the 1-3 loss back on April 5. This clash which will raise the curtain for another tricky clash pitting Pirates against Swallows couldn’t be more fitting dress rehearsal for the tasty midweek clashes the opening second round of the league have thrown at us.

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