‘BIRDS’ IN TROUBLE AFTER SHOCK LOSS

Swallows………… (0)0
Zesco Utd………. (3) 3
Kambole 38th, 40th, 42th

MANZINI – Mbabane Swallows’ chances of making the Total CAF Champions League quarter-final are now hanging by a thread following a dreadful display against visiting Zambia’s Zesco United yesterday.

A quick and unanswered first half hat-trick  by Orlando Pirates target Lazarous Kambole, who rose to the occasion in the absence of talisman Jesse Were, left the country’s envoys in a precarious position in their bid to make the quarter-finals for their first time in their history. Schoolboy errors by a jittery defence and goalkeeper Sandanezwe Mathabela, who looked lost like an octopus in a garage, condemned the country’s envoys to their third straight defeat in Africa’s   premier club competition before their over 2 000 disbelieving loyalists at a chilly and rain-soaked Mavuso Sports Centre.  With a game to spare, they are now at the basement of the standings in Group D.

In fact, if Club Desportivo of Angola beat Tunisia’s Etoile du Sahel in the other group fixture played late last night, it was end of the road for Thabo ‘Koki’ Vilakati’s men. The capital city giants do not only need to beat the Angolan side in the last group fixture on August 28, but pray for a favour from the Tunisians. The latter will play Zesco in their last fixture. Swallows are on four points, while Zesco are now on five. Club Desportivo were also on five points before last night’s game.

It was four minutes of madness, as the pendulum had swung in Swallows’ favour for prolonged periods.  Before the floodgates opened, they would have been at least two goals up, as Aladeon Kola had been denied by goalkeeper Jacob Banda from a sublime McCreesh pass in the 16th minute.  Skipper Tony ‘TT’ Tsabedze had also tested the goalkeeper with a hard shot from outside the box.

Just when Swallows were pressing for the opener, the visitors launched a swift attack, with a rebound from a Shemy Mayembe tapped in by an unmarked Kambole.  Two minutes later, the latter was celebrating a brace and his team’s second after intercepting Mathabela’s poor pass to Umukoro. Three minutes before the recess, Kambole peeled off the defence to fire into an empty net, as Mathabela had unnecessarily left the post unguarded. The goal sucked the energy out of the home side, who trailed by 3-0 during the interval.

 Swallows had tried to regroup on resumption on play, with McCreesh their live wire in midfield. However, Kambole still easily outpaced trusted defender Stanley Umukoro, who had a disastrous day in office. The Zambians had thrown more bodies at the back and Swallows could only manage a single shot on target in the second half through substitute Sizolethu Shabalala.  However, Kola and ‘TT’ had managed to ask questions, with the latter showing flashes of brilliance by peeling off the defence before he guided his effort wide 15 minutes from time.

The away side remained impenetrable to record their first win of the group stages,  while Swallows’ loyalists who jadedly crooned their happy songs were left ‘cursing’ Kambole, who again on target when their favourite side lost 0-1 to Zesco in the 2015 instalment of the CAF Champions League.   Swallows’ last home match against Etoile had also ended in a 3-0 defeat.

TEAMS:
Swallows: Sandanezwe, Sifiso, Ndaba, Umukoro, Palma, ‘McCreesh’, ‘Samba Jive’, ‘D4D’, Sandile (Sizolethu), Kola, ‘TT’
Zesco Utd: Jacob, Solomon, Kapumbu, Edward, John, Misheck, Mutonga, Lameck (Mwape), Kambole, Shemy, Kalengo (Dave)  

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