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MBABANE – It was a teary moment for Billy Oceans’ players after losing their National First Division (NFD) ticket to Kappa Kappa this past Saturday at a packed Killarney Sport Ground in Pigg’s Peak.
A miss of the final penalty kick by Billy Oceans’Xolani Kunene, after Kappa Kappa had netted their five allotted shots, was heartbreaking for the player who broke down in tears inside the pitch. This was after a goalless 90 minutes of an intense championship match decider. Kappa Kappa won 5-4 after penalties. Some of the players were also spotted shedding tears, as their NFD dream was shuttered before their eyes.
Defeat
Despite the defeat, Head Coach Mhlonishwa Damini commended his boys’ fighting spirit, persistence and passion, saying that they would try again next season.
“The boys were really disappointed, but I always told them that in football, there were three results; a win, draw or lose. This time around, there was supposed to be one winner and unfortunately we lost. Anyone can miss a penalty so it’s not a life sentence,” Dlamini said.
Meanwhile, a jubilant Gilbert Kunene, who is not new to promoting teams to National First Division as he did with Russian Bombers and Ubombo Flyers over four seasons ago, commended his team for a remarkable performance, despite missing a handful of scoring opportunities.
“It was tough. We prepared well and we won, because in the end there can only be one winner. We will add a number of experienced players to the squad and that means more work for us next season,” Kunene said.
Kunene commended his team for the gallant performance since the beginning of the league until the final match. He assured them of a busy season ahead as rookies of the NFD league.