(At Mayaluka Stadium)
Ubombo Sugar ……………….(0)0
Manzini Wanderers…………(1)1
Silima 45+3
BIG BEND – Struggling giants Manzini Wanderers have broken their duck and recorded their first victory of the 2025/26 MTN Premier League season.
This victory was earned yesterday against their bogey side, Ubombo Sugar, where Manuel Silima came off the bench to be the match hero for the maroon and white outfit in the pulsating clash that saw Ubombo finish the game without their captain.
Ubombo’s Captain Samkelo Ginindza, who was impressive at the backline, received his second booking just seven minutes after the hour mark from Referee Thulani Sibandze, leaving his side to trail with a one-man disadvantage from half-time. However, it was a sigh of relief for Wanderers as, despite Ginindza’s red card, they held on for the win. Vay Rooyen Magagula’s troops were knocking on the door to get an equaliser, but Gcina Dlamini’s charges held onto the slender lead to record their first victory after five attempts. It was a reprieve as they were fresh from a 4-0 drubbing by city rivals Manzini Sea Birds last weekend.
This triumph momentarily lifts the ‘Weslians’ a place on the charts, also leapfrogging their yesterday’s opponents, who slipped to 15th in the league. As Wanderers were sidelined for the past season’s league action, their last win in the league had come during the 2023/24 season, on April 17, 2024, where they beat Sea Birds 3-1, and had never won any game since, even during official knockout tournaments.
During the said season, ‘Bafana Bashukela’ bullied the ‘Bafana Bemkhuleko’, beating them on both encounters, with a stunning comeback at Prince of Wales Sports Ground, where they triumphed 4-3. Yesterday’s victory brought some hope to over 300 fans of the team who were at the stadium to watch their favourite team. They were beaming with excitement, with this result believed to be stabilising the situation at the ‘Weslians’, which was reportedly becoming tense.
The match began excitingly after Referee Sibandze’s first whistle, with both sides showing intent to draw first blood. The visitors, however, showed much hunger in the opening 20 minutes, as they showed to be clinical upfront against the host, who could not penetrate their defence. Veteran midfielder, Mlamuli ‘Mlaba’ Nkambule, could have put Wanderers ahead but his effort hit the woodwork from a set-piece for a fruitless corner.
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