‘KAPPA BOYS’ DROWN IN ‘DEEP BLUE OCEAN’

Matsapha Utd....................... (1) 1
Sidumo 40th
Sundowns.............................. (0) 0

LOBAMBA – There is a new sheriff in local football in Matsapha United who booked a place in the semi-finals of the SwaziBank Cup #Yelele.

There was no nervy finish in their quest to knock out Manzini Sundowns in yesterday’s quarter-finals even with the scoreline reading 1-0 in their favour, for later it turned out to be their sweetest revenge against a team that booted them out of the Ingwenyama Cup last 16 stage in December last year.

Instead, undisputed Man of the Match Vusumuzi Zungu was the man who had the last touch of the ball, with a glancing header from a well taken corner kick in the last minute of the game which Sandanezwe Mathabela did well to parry away for corner kick that was needlessly not taken as referee Simanga Nhleko blew his final whistle. The story once again was that the nine-month-old side has ruffled another big feather in Manzini Sundowns were being tipped as one of the favourites for the E1 Million first prize money after the fall of the ‘Van Damme of Swazi football- Mbabane Swallows ‘early last month.

Forgotten former Manzini Wanderers forward Sidumo Shongwe had done well to smash home the winner five minutes before the recess from a well worked move that ended with Sibonelo Dlamini picking him with a pin point cross inside the six area box.

The highly tactical encounter had little opportunities as both teams fought hard to outwit each other in midfield. However, it was Zimbabwean-born gaffer Saul Chamunika who had nailed bare his intentions of winning the cup, who won the battle. His traditional 4-3-3 formation which had Menzi Mamba, Dennis ‘Yuki’ Masina and the crafty Vusumuzi Zungu outwitted Mlamuli Mlaba Nkambule, Seto Tekwa and Ndumiso ‘Skhokho’ Shongwe in the engine room.
Zungu was literally pulling the strings, nicely mixing combativeness, creativity and when needed providing entertaining football to the about 1 500 supporters who watched the double header, with his silky skills.

Sundowns though had the first real chance of the game, inside the first minute, but ‘Skhokho’ failed to beat Khanyakwezwe at five yards unmarked from a Justice Figareito cross. It was a miss they would definitely rue, given that chances were few and far between.

Zungu was unlucky six minutes before the recess, with a stupendous chip that shaved the cross bar after spotting Sanda off his line. He exhibited the vision of a seasoned midfielder and already he was increasingly showing his class in the game, that was lacking in that aspect.

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