NEW-LOOK ‘BULL’ FLOOR WESLIANS!

Highlanders...........................(1)3
Khanyile 15th, Sibusiso Tfwala 94th, 99th
Wanderers..............................(1)1
Kola 21st
(Highlanders won 3-1 after extra-time)

LOBAMBA – The song ‘Gwaza Nkunz’emyama’ reverberated across Somhlolo National Stadium yesterday, as a new-look Mbabane Highlanders floored Manzini Wanderers in an exciting Castle Premier Challenge Cup quarter-final match.

So deafening was the singing that it threatened it threatened to remove main stand roof off its hinges.

The main orchestra of the ‘Bull’ choir was debutant former Malanti Chiefs flying winger Thokozani Khanyile, who endeared himself to the hearts of the club’s multitudes who had come in numbers to cheer their team on.  As team boss Bheki ‘Rubber’ Simelane alluded to the fact that they would be a completely different team from the one that was trampled by Royal Leopard in the Charity Cup, the club made six changes in the starting eleven. However, credit should also be given to Sibusiso Tfwala, who grabbed his opportunity with both hands when coming on for the injured Mohammed Sabella.

The speedy forward scored an extra time brace that left the club’s supporters in dreamland. One could not fault the Highlanders fans who sang their lungs out at the sound of the final whistle, dancing outside the team’s dressing rooms as they had to huff and puff for this win. In all honesty, the ‘Black Bull’ had to dig deep from their reserves of courage to emerge as 3-1 winners against a spirited Manzini Wanderers side.

Highlanders had opened the scorers chart in the quarter-hour mark through debutant Khanyile, the former Malanti Chiefs South Africa-born winger, who hustled the ball on the left wing, cutting inside before letting fly a rocket-like shot that beat goalkeeper Mbongeni Motsa hands down at the Wanderers poles.

Six minutes later, Aladeon Kola levelled matters with a flicked goal from a Jose Machado free kick to beat Sidumo Vilakati on the far left upright. From here it was game on. With the scoreline remaining the same at the breather, Sifiso Matse broke free after 74 minutes but Sidumo was equal to the task on his near post attempt.

  Wanderers’ Ali Matse missed the best chance of the game with a minute remaining on referee Thulani Sibandze’s watch but fired agonisingly wide from six yards out after Sifiso’s perfectly executed back heel.

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