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SUPPORTER STABBED AS ’LANDERS GO THROUGH

09/01/2019 01:25:00 BY SANELE JELE AND CHRIS DLAMINI

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(At Somhlolo National Stadium)
Mbabane Highlanders......... (1)2
Zungu 5th, Melusi 60th
Vovovo...................................(1)1
Bheki 34th

MBABANE - A Mbabane Highlanders fan by the name of Ntobeko Maziya is lucky to be alive after being stabbed, alleged,y by a football official after a drama-filled Ingwenyama Cup last 16 here last night.

Maziya was stabbed twice in his upper shoulder. The victim was attacked as he was celebrating after Highlanders beat Vovovo 2-1 to advance to the Last eight of the richly sponsored Sincephetelo Motor Vehicle Accident Fund (SMVAF) tournament.

The fan was walking down the stairs, heading toward the toilets from the left side of the dressing room when the official allegedly pounced on him and stabbed him with a knife.

According to eyewitnesses, the suspect disappeared from the scene after the incident. Maziya fell and started bleeding profusely before he was assisted by police officers and the Highlanders team doctor sandile Mamba.

He cried out in pain as the team doctor tried to stop the bleeding. Highlanders fans started flocking to the scene and shouted unpalatable which can not be repeated in this newspaper. Some of the fans questioned police officers on why Maziya was not taken to hospital because he could die from internal bleeding.

The unidentified police officer responded that they were trying to stop the bleeding before they could admit him to hospital. He was finally transported to Raleigh Fitkin Memorial (RFM) hospital using a police van as the only ambulance inside the stadium was used to ferry Highlanders goalkeeper Khanyakezwe Shabalala to the Mbabane Government Hospital. Maziya was reportedly admitted to the RFM Hospital

Mbabane Highlanders CEO Paul ‘Magidze ‘ludzakeni’ Masilela confirmed that the stabbed fan was one of their staunch supporters.
Statement
“It is true that the stabbed fan is ours and he was with his brother when the official attacked him. As to who did this, I can’t comment for now as I was not at the scene when the incident happened. The eyewitnesses have gone to the Lobamba Police Station to record a statement,” Masilela said.
Meanwhile, Premier League of Eswatini CEO Simanga Nhleko was shocked by the latest development.

“It is very unfortunate. Football must be a game of 90 minutes where rivalry exists; thereafter we should just accept results and move on. One can only hope it’s not a serious injury but we believe the law will take its course,” Nhleko said when contacted last night. When the Chief Police Information and Communications Officer, Superintendent Phindile Vilakati was reached for comment last night, her mobile phone rang unanswered when called several times. The last call was made at 11:01pm.

Meanwhile, the tightly contested encounter between the two teams wa also full of drama as players threatened to fight inside the field of play. The referee on the night Thulani Sibandze was forced to intervene time and again. With just eight minutes to go, Vovovo’s Bheki Dlamini was red-carded for allegedly saying unpalatable words to Sibandze. The referee had cautioned him with a yellow card after he fouled Melusi Dlamini. The capital city giants broke the deadlock in the 5th minute. It was Mbombela United target Vusumuzi Zungu who unleashed a cracker from 40 yards to beat Njabulo Sambo across the sticks.

Shot

Sabelo ‘Sawa’ Gamedze could have made it 2-0 three minutes later but his rasping shot was saved by Sambo.
Menzi Sithole missed a glorious chance in the 12th minutes when Sambo untimely came out of his box. Vovovo defender Muzi Gule had made a back pass and Sithole intercepted before passing into the empty net but he watched in agony as his shot missed the goal post by inches.
The ‘Bull’ were dominant for the first 30 minutes but started to crack thereafter.

The Gcina ‘Magiyane’ Dlamini-led charges came back strong and they eventually levelled matters in the 34 minutes.
It was Bheki Dlamini who headed home from three yards. He connected a well timed cross from Sibusiso Thwala to make it 1-1. Noteworthy, Highlanders top strikers in Thabiso Mokeokane and Mthobisi Mngometulu were on the bench with Menzi Sithole and Mlamuli ‘Mlaba’ Nkambule starting in the first eleven.
The latter duo were on the bench in the abandoned game which was played on Saturday at Mhlume Stadium. The match was called off duo to a power black-out in the second half.