RAGING BUFFS GALLOPING TO TITLE

My dearest readers ...

As Mbabane Swallows’ Zambia-born mentor, Honour Janza, walked like a rhino in urgent need of a root canal surgery, disappearing into the Somhlolo National Stadium tunnel, after Young Buffaloes had put his club to the sword far more than the 3-1 scoreline suggests, a shift in the balance of football power had just happened in broad daylight.

While Janza disappeared into the Somhlolo National Stadium tunnel, looking like a retrenched watchman, with each step feeling like he was being led to the guillotine, he did not see his players and officials move to the eastern grandstand to applaud the honey-throated Swallows fans, who still found it in their hearts to give them a rousing farewell after the mother-of-all-beatings in a long, long time.

better

The mere fact that the last time Young Buffaloes got the better of Swallows in a league match is as way back as November 29, 2014 and nine games later, should, by all accounts, send a clear statement of intent to wrestle not just the league crown away from faltering Green Mamba, but should make everybody notice that indeed the army side are slowly becoming the team to beat in this country.

Exuding determination and commitment from every pore, the army side out-classed, out-gunned and outmanoeuvred Swallows in a second half goal blitz that left the Swallows fans wishing Somhlolo National Stadium could open up and swallow them all.
It was exhilarating and shocking in equal measure.

Yes, Swallows had started the game at their buccaneering best – finding acre of spaces in the Buffaloes defence in a dominant first half and should have been 2-0 up within the opening 10 minutes, but lack of composure from Thabiso Mokenkoane, in particular, was uncharacteristic of the free scoring red and white glamour side.

Striker Sandile Hlatshwako’s miss in the first five minutes of the second half, for me, was the game changer. Coming face to face with Nhlanhla Gwebu, Hlatshwako should have done better. From then on, the army side took charge of the game and ran the Swallows stiff-as-ironing-board defence rugged.

cruelty

In the true context of the animal kingdom, it was the kind of cruelty that would have called for the intervention of the Animal Welfare Society. Chief tormentor and man of the match Wandile ‘Skosh’ Shabangu was sleek and suave; Mpendulo ‘Mpetha’ Dlamini in midfield was defiance and indefatigable personified, while second half substitute Phiwa Dlamini ran Swallows stiff-as-ironing-board defence rugged before scoring the second goal, which knocked the winds off the Birds’ sails.

The sweetly-struck Ali Matse free kick nine minutes from time ensured the army side ended a nine match winless streak against Swallows with a proper plonking that now leaves Dominic Kunene’s charges salivating at the prospect of the E350 000 first round ‘carrot’ with four games before the curtain falls down on an entertaining first half of the season.

annihilation

The annihilation of Swallows by Young Buffaloes in this manner should be put into perspective. It wasn’t just the typical ‘flashing a red flag to the Spanish bull’ kind of reaction but true to characteristics of a buffalo, Dominic Kunene’s charges, do not respond or react to the ‘environmental’ demands.

According to an Indian tourism website, a buffalo “lives the life it wants to live. It will neither show anger nor love. In simple words, it stays “Indifferent”.
Young Buffaloes are ‘indifferent’ – thanks to the CAF lessons which helped them realise they were not a finished product inspite of winning a double last season.

Lest we forget, ‘Amathole Ezinyathi’ have been competing pound-for-pound with Swallows in the last decade and always ending with the wooden part of the spoon such that they could have been easily referred to as ‘BRIDESMAID FC’. Things have changed.

The three successive times EswatiniBank Cup champions and Ingwenyama Cup winners are a bullish juggernaut, to borrow from the chewing gum molesting Scottish geezer Sir Alex Ferguson, that is knocking Swallows off their f&** perch.

They are riding the crest of the wave. Here are the statistics which tell the incredible story of their dominance in the league thus far. Seven wins out of eight; one draw; no loss; a massive 20 goals scored; a paltry three conceded; two points clear at the top of the table and still with a game in hand against Manzini Sea Birds tomorrow. Be afraid, be very afraid.

admirer

Granted, even the most ardent admirer within the Buffaloes camp can attest that the army side are some distance from being mentioned in the same sentence as sleek and suave.

Pretty play on their part has been paltry but the club’s 99 supporters or so, couldn’t give a rat’s behind as long as they keep galloping towards the podium finish.
The 3-1 annihilation of Swallows was a statement of a shift in the balance of football power. Buffaloes second half performance was the kind of intensity I have never seen any team before display, other than the self-same Swallows during the stewardship days of their dearly departed chairman Victor ‘Maradona’ Gamedze.

On Sunday, for Buffaloes, it felt as if every single player in gold and maroon was playing in his peak in the final 20 minutes.

machine

It felt as if, together, they were a relentless machine, which knew automatically how the other parts worked. They played with trust and faith.
Their concentration never wavered. They were a wonderful mix of fire and control. They attacked in ravenous packs.
Dear reader, Eswatini has got a new football dictator. 

A new enlightened football despot in the form of ‘Amathole Ezinyathi’. Granted, there will still be many twists and turns; reviews and reversals, in the gruelling marathon that is the 2019/2020 MTN League title race but if Dominic Kunene’s charges beat Sea Birds tomorrow and open a five-point lead then the ribbons on the first round league trophy will certainly be gold and maroon. Mark my words.

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