CITY SLICKERS!

(At Somhlolo National Stadium)

Midas City ............................(2) 2
Ndebele 35th, Mncedisi 45+2
Royal Leopard ......................(1) 1
Tokyo 21st

LOBAMBA – The MTN league championship wheels are coming off for three-times-in-a-row winners Royal Leopard.

The latest to derail Leopard’s championship defence was a determined Midas City who came from behind to snatch a 2-1 victory which moved them away from the foot of the MTN league log to position eight.
It was a Leopard, in their stuttering form, second loss in five games having lost 1-0 to Premier League newcomers Tambuti at the same pitch last Sunday.

Despite making four changes to the team that lost to Tambuti on Sunday, dropping Sikhumbuzo Ntimane, Juries Gama, Machawe Dlamini and Sabelo Sangweni, bringing in John Gama, Lungelo Tsabedze, Papi Sikhondze and Ncamiso Gina, Sifiso ‘Nuro’ Ntibane failed to make light work of Midas City.

They dominated early exchanges and even took the lead in the 21st minute through Tokyo Thwala, who scored after an indirect kick when Mxolisi Dlamini rolled the ball on his path.

Midas City, who recorded their first win of the season, found the equaliser in the 35th minute when Hloniphani Ndebele rose unchallenged to nod home a free kick by Mthunzi Motsa. Leopard thought they had surged ahead when Lungelo Tsabedze, pile driver, from the edge of the box, brought the best out of City goalkeeper Qiniso Gule six minutes after the half-hour mark.

Three minutes before half time, the lights went off at the stadium due to the heavy downpour, thunder and lightning. Play was stopped. After 25 minutes stoppage, play resumed and City proved to be back re-energised. They snatched what turned out to be the winner on the stroke of half-time through Mncedisi Kunene, who scored from a goal-scramble as the Leopard defence failed to clear their lines.

Leopard’s technical bench pulled out goalkeeper Ncamiso ‘Mbhonyo’ Dlamini for Phephisani Msibi, Tokyo Thwala for Bongani ‘Chicken’ Sibandze to try and exert more pressure to City for an equaliser.
It wasn’t to be as not only was the pitch resembling a swimming pool, with the ball getting stuck every now and then but Sabelo Sangweni saw his long range effort bravely parried to safety by City’s goalminder, Qiniso Gule in the 86th minute.

Leopard thought they had found the equaliser a minute before full-time when Muzi ‘Mzoro’ Dlamini’s header floated into the net only to be ruled off-side by referee Celumusa Siphepho. Midas City ran out 2-1 winners while the police side were left muttering their missed chances as they are a distant nine points behind log leaders Mbabane Swallows.

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