BUFFALOES RECLAIM 2ND SPOT

SITEKI – Two unanswered second half goals from Ali Matse and  a penalty from Njabulo Maziya steered army side Young Buffaloes to the second spot at the expense of stuttering Nsingizini Hotspurs.

After a 1-all draw with table-proppers Seven Dreams in the last outing, Buffaloes looked to leapfrog Mbabane Swallows in yesterday’s rescheduled MTN Premier League fixture at KaLanga Technical Centre in Siteki. The game was a replay game after the initial fixture was abandoned at Mhlume Stadium due to heavy rains about a fortnight ago. It was Matse who opened the deadlock for Buffaloes in the resumption of the second half in the 53rd  minute of the game and deadly striker Njabulo Maziya added the second  through a penalty after Matse was fouled inside the box to steer the army side back on course for the league title. The win also reduces Correctional services side, Green Mamba lead at the top of the standings to three points going into match day 18 of the exciting MTN Premier League season.

Young Buffaloes and Nsingizini Hotspurs were evenly matched in the opening exchanges, with a Sihlangu Mkhwanazi and Sibusiso Masuku battling for control of the midfield. There were no clear cut chances, as most of the ball was played in the middle of the park. As the game progressed, Buffaloes opted to play long balls behind the Nsingizini defence for their target man, Njabulo Maziya. However, goalkeeper Sibusiso Dlamini was always alert, as he came out to gather long balls from Matse  and  Fanelo ‘Order’ Mamba. Nsingizini were awarded a free-kick at the edge of the hosts’ box after Thubelihle Mavuso  was adjudged to have been fouled. Neliso Myeni’s  attempt from the resultant set-piece shaved the outside of Mlungisi Nxumalo left upright. Nsingizini’s best chance of the first-half fell for Mavuso and the Nsingizini attacker ballooned his effort just wide of the Buffaloes goals and the score was 0-0 at half-time.

Buffaloes saw most of the ball after the restart, but they couldn’t create clear-cut chances for their centre forward Maziya, who looked frustrated upfront. Ali Matse and Njabulo Maziya  struck a deadly combination in the left side of the Nsingizini defence and they were rewarded when a split cross from Vukile Khumalo sent Ali Matse on goal one-on-one with the Nsingizini goalkeeper and the midfielder, looped the ball over the goalkeeper to open the deadlock for the Mandla ‘Stofu’ Dlamini’s men.

Fouled

Ali Matse kept troubling the Hotspurs defence and it was him again in the 73rd  minute of the game when he was fouled in the box by Pius Baffour and referee on the day Thembinkosi ‘Dovos’ Dlamini pointed to the spot-kick. Maziya took it upon himself and he converted from the penalty spot, to make it 2-0  for Buffaloes and took his goal tally  for the season to 15 and just one goal behind Swallows’ Felix Badernhorst. The last 15 minutes saw Buffaloes piling on the pressure on the Shiselweni-side  and Maziya should have scored his second of the day but his shot went over the bar. Myeni  should have done better in the 77th minute and had his shot easily saved by Buffaloes goalkeeper Mlungisi Nxumalo. That proved to be the last bit of action, with Buffaloes claiming the 2-0 win, jumping to 40 points and three points behind Green Mamba. Nsingizini remain sixth with 26 points.

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