BAYI-NGOZI!

At Mavuso Sports Centre)

Y. Buffaloes ...........(0) 0

Le Messager ..........(0) 0

MANZINI – It was not their day.

That is army side Young Buffaloes who settled for a goalless draw with Burundian side Le Messager Ngozi in the CAF Champions League first leg match yesterday. They could have easily won the first leg preliminary round but missed a number of scoring opportunities.

Buffaloes were playing against a disjointed side that had about five players arriving after the game at Mavuso Sports Centre as they were left in South Africa. The second leg match is billed for Saturday in Burundi and the winner between the two sides will face Zambia Zesco United in the second preliminary round.

The army side were in full control of the game from start to finish but could not convert through their strikers Phiwa Dlamini, Sandile ‘Saviola’ Gamedze, Fanelo ‘Order’ Mamba, Bongwa Matsebula and Ali Matse, among others.

Buffaloes were playing their first competitive game since March as they were out of action for the better part of the year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while Le Messager have been in action since August in Burundi.

Buffaloes could have taken the lead as early as the fourth minute but Phiwa Dlamini’s well taken shot just outside the box was saved by the goalkeeper Onesime Rakundo. It was chance-after-chance for Buffaloes, but they could not convert. During the half hour mark, ‘Saviola’ dazzled inside the box but failed to convert to an empty net, having beaten the goalkeeper.

The second half started on a high with Le Messager goal ruled off-side by the referee after a good move that caught Buffaloes’ defenders off-guard and Nhlanhla Gwebu was beaten only for the assistant referee to rule the goal offside.

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