Sisonkhe…….(0)0
Highlanders…(1)4
Zwelihle 5th, Msimisi 64th, Siyabonga 69th, Nkosivumile 90+3rd
Wanderers….(1)1
Samba Jive 45th
Ubombo……(0)2
Sizwe 64th, Innocent 66th, Shaka 90+3rd
(At Mavuso Sports Centre)
MANZINI -Mbabane Highlanders finally exorcised their demons under the sodden skies of the Mavuso Sports Centre on Sunday, snapping a four-match winless streak with a clinical 4-0 demolition of Sisonkhe.
The victory was a statement of intent from the capital city giants, watched closely from the stands by their flamboyant South African owner, Shauwn ‘MaMkhize’ Mkhize. The businesswoman’s presence, alongside General Manager Richard Makhoba, seemed to galvanise the ‘Inkunz’emnyama’, who looked a side transformed from the sluggish outfit of recent weeks.
Seloatse ‘Sly’ Mosala’s men wasted no time asserting their authority. Zwelihle Phewa tested the Sisonkhe resolve within five minutes, though Mukelo ‘Msiwi’ Nhlabatsi briefly threatened an equaliser for the opposition. However, Sisekelo ‘Fashino’ Maseko, whose recent sessions under the tutelage of Brilliant Khuzwayo were evident in his sharp handling, denied the effort comfortably.
Highlanders had a deserved narrow lead at the break. The floodgates opened in the second half. Msimisi Zwane doubled the advantage from the penalty spot in the 65th minute following a blatant handball, before Siyabonga Mkhonto effectively ended the contest five minutes later. Nkosivumile Zulu applied the gloss to the scoreline late on, sealing a result that suggests the ‘Sisonkhe curse’ is firmly a thing of the past.
In the day’s earlier kick-off, the crisis at Manzini Wanderers reached a tipping point as they surrendered a lead to lose 3-1 against a resurgent Ubombo Sugar.
With only nine matches remaining to save their top-flight status, Wanderers remain rooted to the foot of the table on a poultry eight points. The match was not without officiating drama; International Federation of Association Football (FIFA)-accredited referee Sanele Ntimane notably overruled a penalty initially awarded against Wanderers’ goalkeeper Mario Jamine.
Earlier, the Mavuso crowd was treated to a moment of pure vintage class. Wanderers’ 44-year-old veteran maestro Wonder ‘Samba Jive’ Nhleko rolled back the years just before half-time, latched onto a loose ball, and unleashed a venomous volley that left the Ubombo goalkeeper static.
That lead, however, proved a false dawn. Van Rooyen Magagula’s Ubombo side, who had dominated possession without reward in the first period, finally found their clinical edge after the hour mark. Sizwe Maziya levelled in the 64th minute, and before Wanderers could catch their breath, Innocent Dlamini had turned the game on its head just 120 seconds later.
A desperate late push from the ‘Weslians’ saw Malwande Gwebu flash a dangerous cross across the face of goal, but there was no one to provide the finishing touch. Instead, substitute Neliso ‘Shaka’ Myeni added a controversial third in stoppage time to ensure the points headed back to the sugarbelt, leaving one of Eswatini’s most storied institutions staring into the abyss of relegation.
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