BOYS SEPARATED FROM MEN

As expected, Royal Leopard and Mbabane Swallows are through to the Castle Premier Challenge Cup semi-finals.

I dare say that should the two avoid each other in the double legged semi-finals draw, then of course you can expect their third final meeting in the new season.

They were finalists in the inaugural King’s Super Cup tournament and in the Swazi Telecom Charity Cup Spectacular.
This is not to suggest the other two teams, Manzini Sundowns and the defending champions Green Mamba will be strolls in the park for the two, no. It, however, implies that they are once again favoured to go all the way.

Results on Friday night at the Somhlolo National Stadium when the tournament kicked off saw a Sundowns side hold their nerve before seeing off army side Young Buffaloes in the dreaded penalty shoot-out. The game had finished goalless after 90 minutes regulation time and 30 minutes extra-time.

New Sundowns’ South African coach Basil Peterson could not have asked for a better debut. He deployed a simple yet very effective game plan, which stifled Buffaloes where they are most lethal, the midfield. With the army side’s playmaker Wandile ‘Skosh’ Shabangu having no sniff off the ball, thanks largely to the combative Phinda Ginindza in the Sundowns midfield, the ‘Kappa Kappa’ ensemble relied mostly on counter-attacks. Darren ‘Dazza’ Christie orchestrated their moves alongside Delisa Hongwane even though they rarely troubled Nhlanhla Gwebu between the posts.

It was a morale boosting win for Sundowns, who will be a bit more confident going into the semi-finals of the tournament .

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