MANZINI – Ubombo Sugar FC fought back to secure a hard-earned 2-2 draw against a relentless Royal Leopard side in an MTN Premier League match played at the Mavuso Sports Centre yesterday.
The match began with Ubombo looking like the sharper side, dictating the tempo and dominating the opening 20 minutes of play. Their early aggression paid off handsomely when Sizwe ‘Bhunu’ Maziya found a pocket of space, skilfully navigated past Leopard defender Thembisa Shabangu and slotted the ball home to open the scoring.
However, the celebrations were quickly cut short by a moment of tactical misfortune. After a heavy foul gave Royal Leopard a set-piece, Sifiso Matse launched a looping free kick into the box. Ubombo’s goalkeeper, Innocent Obodai, misjudged the trajectory and leaped off his goal line, only to watch in agony as the ball floated just over his fingertips and into the back of the net.
The second half saw a complete shift in momentum as Royal Leopard came out of the tunnel pressing aggressively and suffocating Ubombo’s midfield. That relentless pressure bore fruit in the 56th minute when Sibonelo ‘Jekwa’ Simelane found the target, breaking the tie and putting Leopard ahead for the first time.
Ubombo nearly responded instantly just two minutes later when Muzi Mkhonta rose highest to meet a corner kick, but his powerful header agonisingly cleared the crossbar. Sensing danger, Simphiwe ‘Hazard’ stepped up defensively to make a crucial interception, putting the brakes on a highly dangerous pass from Leopard’s Sandziso Tsabedze that could have ended the game.
Driven by urgency, Ubombo pushed forward in search of an equaliser and finally found it in the 73rd minute. Muzi Mkhonta’s redemption came in spectacular fashion when he unleashed a fierce shot that rattled the back of the net, leaving Leopard shot-stopper Mlamuli Makhaya slumped on the grass in sheer disappointment.
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