SWEETEST REVENGE AS ‘WESLIANS’ BEAT ‘BIRDS’

Wanderers........................................2
Ali 8th, 32nd
Swallows..........................................2
Wonder 49th, Njabulo 86th

LOBAMBA – Nearly three months after embarrassingly losing 6-0, Manzini Wanderers get the sweetest revenge over bitter rivals Mbabane Swallows, who they knocked out of yesterday’s Swazi Telecom Charity Cup Yam’ Nawe semi-finals.

This was at a packed to the brim Somhlolo National Stadium in the second semi-final of the one-day tournament as Mbabane Highlanders and Royal Leopard had started earlier, the latter winning 2-0. Not as expected by many, it was Wanderers against Leopard in the final with a grand prize of E900 000 for the champions.

Talk of rising from the ashes then Wanderers did just that in front of the filled stadium. Nobody had expected it from Wanderers as they did not make any major signings ahead of the tournament. And against a team that beat them 6-0 in the closing games back in May, it was befitting that after leading 2-0 in the first half, they go all the way to the final.

It was enterprising winger Ali Matse who scored a brace in the 8th and 32nd before Swallows equalised in the second half through Wonder ‘Samba Jive’ Nhleko and Njabulo ‘D4D’ Ndlovu, deservedly so as they had already seen two goals denied for offside.

Come to the penalty shoot-out, former Swallows’ goalkeeper Mbongeni Motsa stole the show, just when you would think he had cost his team the game after his weak penalty was easily parried out by Sandile ‘Nkomishi’ Ginindza. Motsa stood up after that miss to make two brilliant saves, first against Papy Tshishimbi and ‘Nkomishi’, whose effort was just as weak as the one by the former. When he saved the last kick for Swallows, the ‘Nkomishi’ penalty, the scenes of jubilation that followed were epic and deafening as that was the decider, the score then was already 4-3.

Wanderers won the match 6-5 overall to book a place in the E900 000 final scheduled for later yesterday at 4pm. The celebrations were also marred by flying cans from the Swallows’ grandstand after the Wanderers players took it to them but that is a matter match officials will handle. Defender Sihle Mkhonta, who Wanderers signed from Bad Boys, won the man of the match.

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