(At KaLanga Technical Centre)
Sisonkhe......................(0)0
Wanderers...................(0)1
Siphosethu 85th (OG)
SITEKI – As the Premier League relegation scrap reaches a fever pitch, the ugly spectre of violence has once again reared its head.
Match officials were forced to run the gauntlet as minnows Sisonkhe reacted with fury to a narrow defeat at the hands of already-relegated Manzini Wanderers.
In a sequence of events mirroring last weekend’s disturbances at Bhunya Stadium, assistant referee Manqoba Sihlongonyane again found himself at the centre of a storm. Alongside fourth official Vusani Dlamini, who is no stranger to such hostile environments, referee Vuyolwethu Khoza and International Federation of Association Football (FIFA)-accredited assistant Zamani Simelane, Sihlongonyane required a police escort to safety after the technical bench and players of Sisonkhe lost all semblance of control.
The flashpoint arrived in the dying embers of a pulsating week 26 encounter. Sisonkhe believed Mavela Dlamini had found a legitimate equaliser, but the officiating team stood firm in their dissent. The chaos overshadowed what was a significant, if sombre, result for the ‘Weslians’.
Manzini Wanderers’ 1-0 victory was secured five minutes into stoppage time when a cross from substitute Malwande Gwebu, intended for Lwazi ‘Shumi’ Mamba, was inadvertently turned into the net by Siphosethu Hlatshwako.
It marked the first win for Nyanga ‘Crooks’ Hlophe’s charges in nearly 167 days, their last triumph dating back to November 13, 2025 against Ubombo Sugar. While the points do nothing to alter Wanderers’ fate, they serve as a hammer blow to Sisonkhe’s playoff aspirations, leaving the Siteki-based side facing the double blow of a lost opportunity and inevitable league fines. Elsewhere, Malanti Chiefs bolstered their survival hopes with a 1-0 win over Rangers to occupy 13th place.
*Full article available on Pressreader*
On-duty police officers came to the match official's rescue.