(At Mavuso Sports Centre)
Lozitha Spurs……….(0) 0
Mbabane Highlanders (2) 3
Mkhonto 15th,43rd, 46th
MANZINI – As the Ingwenyama Cup took its ceremonial first breath, amid song, colour and swelling anticipation, one man seized the moment.
Mbabane Highlanders’ Siyabonga Mkhonto did not merely open the scoring, but he opened the story. A dazzling hat-trick, the first of the eighth edition of the tournament, carried Highlanders emphatically into the last 16 with a 3–0 victory over National First Division side Lozitha Spurs at Mavuso Sports Centre.
This fixture carried echoes. Last season’s tournament, Highlanders were undone by these very opponents at the same stage. This time, memory sharpened resolve, and resolve found its voice through Mkhonto.
The grand opening unfolded before a crowd of over 3 000 supporters and a distinguished assembly of dignitaries, including Public Service Minister Mabulala Maseko, Minister for Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs Bongani Nzima, Sincephetelo Motor Vehicle Accidents Fund (SMVAF) new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Khangeziwe Mabuza, Eswatini Football Association (EFA) President Peter ‘Samora’ Simelane, Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) Chairman Polycarp Dlamini and Mbabane Highlanders President Shauwn Mkhize.
From the opening exchanges, the Ernest Mavuso-led charges played with authority, moving the ball crisply and pressing with intent. The breakthrough arrived in the quarter-hour mark when Mkhonto unleashed a fierce drive across goal, beating Lozitha Spurs goalkeeper Bonginkhosi Simelane at the far post. The ‘Black Bull’ had struck first — and struck hard.
Momentum gathered quickly. Captain Siphamandla Maseko came close to doubling the advantage on the half-hour, his effort blocked with the goalkeeper beaten, as Highlanders continued to dominate possession and territory. Msimisi Zwane and Ayanda ‘Shoes’ Mabuza also found themselves in promising positions, but the second goal required something special.
It arrived three minutes before half-time. Mkhonto reacted quickest to a loose ball and thundered a sublime volley into the top corner — a finish of balance, technique and conviction. The Highlanders faithful erupted. At the interval, the ‘Bull’ held a commanding 2–0 lead.
Lozitha Spurs almost found a reply just before the break when Luyanda Ndlovu flashed a shot narrowly wide in the 44th minute, but it proved to be a momentary flicker rather than a turning point.
Any hopes of a revival were extinguished almost instantly after the restart. Barely a minute into the second half, Mkhonto swung in a corner kick that dipped wickedly and deceived everyone, including the goalkeeper, before finding the back of the net. A corner turned scorer. A hat-trick sealed. History claimed.
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Mbabane Highlanders hat-trick hero Siyabonga Mkhonto being congratulated by his teammates. (Pic: Melusi Mlkhabela)