Times Of Swaziland: EAGLES FEAST ON  WOUNDED BUFFS

EAGLES FEAST ON  WOUNDED BUFFS
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BY THEMBA ZWANE on 06/12/2018 05:20:00


(At Mavuso Sports Centre)
Young Buffaloes………………..(0)2
Phiwa 4th, 79th
Green Eagles…………………...(3)3
Tembo 10th, 28th, Santu 13th,
(Eagles advance on 5-2 aggregate score)
MANZINI – A miserable week for Eswatini football in the CAF Inter-club
competitions was compounded by Total CAF Confederation Cup envoys Young
Buffaloes bombing out of the tournament on a 5-2 aggregate score.
This comes exactly 24 hours after Mbabane Swallows suffered a humiliating 4-0
defeat at home in the hands of Tanzania’s Simba Sports Club, which culminated
in a mind-numbing 8-1 aggregate loss. This means Eswatini has returned to the
dark days when bowing out in the first hurdle of such tournaments was a norm.
Suffered
The army side suffered un undeservingly 2-3 loss to a Green Eagles side who had
come to play only the first stanza of the match here yesterday in front of more
or less a 500 crowd. The two-goal trail which the locals conceded away in the
first leg tie was the difference between the two sides yesterday if truth be
told.
Buffaloes were unlucky not to bury the game yesterday as the visitors only
played the first half where the locals were still trying to find their footing,
consequently committing silly mistakes to allow the opposition three soft goals.
By the time ‘Amathole’ regrouped in the second stanza, it was a mountain to
climb and the visitors had ‘parked a bus’ at the back. Phiwa Dlamini was a
marvel to watch and he showed his intentions a few minutes after the referee had
blew his whistle to signal kick-off at 3pm before completing his brace after the
breather.
His threatening shot was calmly collected by Eagles’s Justin Munyikwa, who was
basically the difference between the two sides. The first goal came in the 10th
minute from a mistake at the back as Buffaloes defenders struggled to clear the
ball.
A defensive clearance hit Siboniso Mamba to bounce back and fell right in front
of Anos Tembo for a face-to-face encounter with Buffaloes goalie and captain,
Nhlanhla Gwebu, who could not defend a powerful shot by the visitors’ striker
at the far top corner to put Eagles on a lead.
Buffaloes failed to defend blind-site balls where Eagles capitalised.
The defensive errors for the country’s representatives cost them big as the
second goal, three minutes later was a result of fumbling and lack of
communication at the back. Eagles’s Jonathan Manongo’s left flack free-kick
near the centre line was a blind-site ball connected by Spencer Santu who rose
the highest, his header punched by Gwebu but it was not to be for the locals as
the striker finished off with a tap-in to double the lead. Two minutes before
the half hour-mark, local supporters could not believe it was true when Tembo
completed his brace to make the score 3-0.
Again it was poor defending from the duo of Sihlangu Mkhwanazi and Wandile
Maseko to allow a simple penetration by the goal scorer who pounced home the
third goal. On second half, the locals were all out for goals and Eagles were
defending.
Defend
The pressure from Buffaloes after recess forced Eagles to break and Samson
Chilupe used his hand to defend to force the referee to point it to the
spot-kick.
Phiwa stood up to the challenge and beat Eagles’ keeper to pull one back and
the score was 3-1.
Coach Dominick Kunene did well on taking out Ali Matse, who was on vacation to
put in Ndoda Mtsetfwa, who combined well with Phiwa and the speedy Fanele
‘Order’ Mamba.
An inter-pass change from ‘Order’ and Phiwa resulted in the second goal as
the latter dribbled past two defenders to beat Eagles keeper and the final score
was 3-2 in favour of the visitors.