‘WESLIANS’ INTO SEMIS AFTER PENALTIES SCARE

(At Somhlolo National Stadium)

Wanderers...................(0) 0
Sundowns................... (0) 0
(Wanderers won 9-8 after sudden death penalty)

LOBAMBA – Just like they did in 2015 SwaziBank Cup semi-final, Manzini Wanderers needed the dreaded penalty shoot-out to knockout neighbours Manzini Sundowns.

Yesterday’s misery for the Kappa Boys was compounded by the fact that it was the usually trusted servant Melusi Mkhwanazi who turned villain with a crucial sudden death penalty miss to decide his team’s fate in the cup they have not won since 2004.
The convoluted tie kept the over 7000 spectators guessing who would advance between two hub giants, but it was the ‘Weslians’ who advanced to this morning’s semi final draw.

The tense as chess encounter could not produce a winner inside the 90 minutes and the 30 minutes of extra time.
Mkhwanazi missed the crucial sudden death penalty after Jose Machado had given the ‘Weslians’ the advantage, to provoke a rapturous celebration from the maroon and white side that has had their hearts skipped as Makhosi Mthethwa’s spot kick was saved by Man of the Match Lwethu Simelane. However, substitute goalkeeper Banele Dlamini showed great bravery to deny Mkhuleko Magagula’s spot kick. Both teams have converted all their normal five penalties. At the end of the day, the victory felt so sweet for the hub side that a few minutes ago appeared to be dicing with elimination.

After all has been said and done, there is one player who emerged to entrench his reputation as a rising star of Swazi football in this match; and that was Sundowns under-20 goalkeeper Lwethu Simelane who twice denied Ghanaian Michael Asamoah and Mancoba Maseko in 27 and 29 minutes respectively.
In both instances, the youngster showed great reflexes to tip over the crossbar first a deflected shot by Asamoah and later Maseko’s dipping shot.

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