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ROYAL LEOPARD DRAW FIRST BLOOD

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Buffaloes.................................... (0)0
Leopard..................................... (1)1
Barry 20th

LOBAMBA – Debutant twin Lungelo Tsabedze was the provider as Barry Steenkamp nodded home to ensure Royal Leopard are in the driving seat heading to the September 11 second leg match against Young Buffaloes.


Barry rose the highest to head home a Lungelo corner kick in the 20th minute as Leopard beat their hosts 1-0 in the Castle Lager Premier Challenge first leg semi-final match played in front of over 8 000 supporters at Somhlolo National Stadium. It was an all important away goal for the police ensemble that has made things easy for them in the return match.


Lungelo, who started his first match for Leopard after completing his move on Wednesday in a deal that saw his injured twin brother Fanelo join him while Menzi Sithole moved the opposite direction to Mbabane Highlanders, should have opened the scorers chart as early as the ninth minute but after getting space behind a flat footed Buffaloes defence, he saw his show pushed for a corner by goalkeeper Nhlanhla Gwebu.


The always dependable Ndoda Mthethwa had a chance to bring Buffaloes back in the game after finding himself one-on-one with Sihlangu new addition ahead of next Sunday’s 2017 AFCON qualifier Phephisani Msibi at the Leopard post but looped his effort over the bar. 


That it was not Buffaloes’ day was summed up a minute after resumption when Dumisani ‘DU’ Mdluli was saved from the penalty spot by Phephisani.
Ndoda was pulled back inside the big box and referee Thulani Sibandze pointed to the spot.


The introductions of Nhlanhla ‘Mshengu’ Kunene and Phiwa Dlamini ignited life in Buffaloes attack but the latter was guilty of missing a glittering chance in referee’s stoppage time that would have rendered the tie on.
In a replica of the Ndoda miss in the first half, Phiwa put too much power in his looped attempt and was left kicking his heels in frustration after watching the ball sail over the bar with Phephisani at his mercy.   

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