(At Nsukuwansuku Stadium)
Green Mamba......................0
Highlanders.........................0
MHLUME – Mbabane Highlanders’ agonising wait for a league victory stretched into a 42nd day following a gritty, if uninspiring, 0-0 draw against Green Mamba at Nsukuwansuku Stadium in Mhlume yesterday.
The build-up to this MTN Premier League clash was overshadowed by harrowing reports from the roadside. A bus carrying Green Mamba supporters veered off the tarmac near Mpaka amid a heavy downpour. While the club later confirmed the accident in a statement, sparking widespread concern across the Eswatini football fraternity, they fortunately reported no fatalities. The shaken and injured contingent of fans was forced to miss the encounter, leaving a void in the stands.
On the pitch, all eyes were on the touchline as South African coach Selaotse ‘Sly’ Mosala began his second stint with the club, replacing the recently resigned Ernest Mavuso. Inheriting a squad devoid of confidence and missing the creative spark of the suspended Siyabonga Mkhonto and the injured S’phiwe Cele, Mosala’s primary task was to break a seven-match hoodoo against the Correctional Services side.
The match began with a flourish of intent from the hosts. Inside the opening six minutes, Sibonkosi Mavuso forced a fine fingertip save from Green Mamba’s Siyabonga Simelane via a well-struck free kick. Highlanders continued to dictate the tempo on a slick, challenging surface, but their Achilles’ heel, profligacy in front of goal, soon returned to haunt them.
The most glaring miss came in the 19th minute when Mbongeni ‘Mshishi’ Magagula carved the defence open with a sublime pass, only for Njabulo ‘D4D’ Ndlovu to blast his effort wide from point-blank range with the goal at his mercy.
Green Mamba, bolstered by the technical presence of legend Maxwell ‘King Dunga’ Zikalala, struggled to find their rhythm despite unleashing the dangerous Sabelo ‘Sikhali’ Ndzinisa. In a tactical twist, veteran winger Mthunzi ‘Xavi’ Mkhontfo was deployed in an unfamiliar defensive role, largely neutralising the Highlanders’ flanks.
The second half mirrored the first, as both sides introduced fresh legs to find a breakthrough. Kwanele Shongwe nearly made an immediate impact for ‘Luma Nyoka’, skying a close-range effort, while the introduction of Highlanders’ stylish Siwakhile Shongwe failed to yield the necessary clinical edge.
*Full article available on Pressreader*
BATTLE OF CAPTAINS: Mbabane Highlanders Captain Ndumiso Mabuza and Green Mamba skipper Sabelo ‘Sikhali’ Ndzinisa vying for the ball during their MTN Premier League match played at Nsukuwansuku Stadium yesterday. The game ended in a goalles draw.