‘BIRDS’ INGWENYAMA CUP DOMINANCE ENDS

Sports Editor
(At Somhlolo National Stadium)
Young Buffaloes..........(1) 2,
Sandile 38th, 83rd
Mb. Swallows..............(0) 0,

LOBAMBA – Since 1948, Mbabane Swallows goes by the moniker of ‘yize bekhala, yize belila...kukhona ozonethwa’ and yesterday their boisterous fans left the Stadium here dripping wet – literally - in utter shock and disappointment.

Incessant rain enveloped the venue after referee, Mbongiseni Fakudze’s final whistle, leaving some of the disenchanted Swallows fans dripping wet at the face of their team’s first loss in the Ingwenyama Cup in record 19 games which saw them win the richest tournament in the land for three successive seasons.

It was the mercurial Sandile Gamedze, playing in an unfamiliar role as a second striker, who grabbed a brace which ended the red and white glamour side’s dominance of the tournament which has carved a niche for itself in the vanguard of Eswatini football landscape.

In a highly tactical game, which was not pleasing to the eye of the over 10 000 strong crowd inside the iconic venue, Gamedze won his army side a penalty in the 38th minute after being brought down inside the box by defender Siboniso Ndzabandzaba. He stood up to convert expertly, sending Swallows goalkeeper, Sandanezwe Mathabela the wrong way.

Ten minutes earlier, referee Mbongiseni Fakudze had waved played on when the self-same Gamedze looked to have been upended inside the box by new Zimbabwean defender, Stephen Mukatuka.

penalty

Fakudze was left with no option but to award a penalty after the second infringement from the former Tambuti FC defender whose late tackle left Gamedze sprawled on the artificial turf as if shot by a sniper. The talented reigning Eswatini Bank Cup Player of the Series back-to-back winner then delivered the hammer blow seven minutes from time finishing with a glancing header from a gift-wrapped Fanelo ‘Order’ Mamba cross on the right flank. It was beautiful in its conception and sublime in its finishing.

The army side’s well deserved victory was underpinned by grit, determination and aggression which simply overawed the comatose Swallows who looked as disoriented, tactless and physically weak as they were in the 2-1 league loss to Manzini Wanderers at the same venue last Sunday.

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