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‘SIKHALI’ 2022 GOAL KING!

28/12/2022 12:48:00 Sanele Jele

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MBABANE – As year 2022 draws to a close, Sihlangu and Green Mamba marksman Sabelo ‘Sikhali’ Ndzinisa has proven to be a sharp shooter this calendar year.

This is according to combined statistics for the year 2022. The now Green Mamba striker still stands out, despite that in the previous season he was second with 23 goals in the league after Young Buffaloes’ Sandile ‘Saviola’ Gamedze. The latter scored 26 goals last season. However, he is playing catch-up this season as he has scored only once, while seemingly Ndzinisa is consistent as he has netted five league goals.

He scored the three goals in the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) Cup and the same number of goals in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers, to take his tally to 34 in the year 2022. ‘Saviola’, on the other hand, has a total of 30 goals this year. He scored 26 goals in the league, one apiece in AFCON, CHAN and COSAFA Cup games. Another player who has been consistent is Manzini Sea Birds’ Muzi Tsabedze, who has scored six goals this season. He was on target 18 times in the 2022 season. Efforts to get a comment from Ndzinisa were futile as he was not available. However second top scorer this year, ‘Saviola’ said he was impressed with his scoring form. “I can say I am proud of this record. This means I have worked hard as a player and this will motivate me going into the new year,” said Gamedze.

He said as a player, they were always judged by the number of goals or assists they had made over a year. “I am looking to scoring more goals in 2023. As a player I feel 30 goals or more per season is fair. It somehow means you have done your part. My target next year is 30 plus goals and I think it is achievable,” he said. Asked on why he started slow this season, he said: “It is not how you start but how you finish that matters. This season I have been plagued with injuries, so I’m not bothered much.” Asked who could challenge him in 2023, ‘Saviola’ said: “I cannot say who but it will depend on the form of the players. You will recall that when the season started, I was on two goals and ‘Sikhali’ had 11 goals, but I went on to win the golden boot award.’’

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He was further asked who inspires him the most from abroad. “It has to be Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe for me. They really motivate me to do better,” he said. Worth mentioning is that the country’s top two sharp shooters, outside Sihlangu, have played in only one domestic competition, which is the MTN Premier League. The league was predominantly the main competition for the year under review until the launch of the MoMo Cup. Both ‘Sikhali’ and ‘Saviola’ did not feature in the MoMo Cup last month, as their teams were not among the best voting sides.