Leopard slay Weslians, stay top
ANZINI – In a stunning display, Royal Leopard, dismantled a promising Manzini Wanderers with a resounding 4-2 victory, solidifying their position at the top of the league table.
Leopard showcased their dominance by scoring two goals in each half, leaving the ‘Weslians’ utterly embarrassed in front of their passionate 1 000 fans at the Mavuso Sports Centre. The Edwin Matsebula-led charges maintained their top spot with an impressive 31 points, proving their superiority over Wanderers, with whom they had a goalless draw in the first round.
On the flip side, the Weslians remain stagnant, lingering just two places above the bottom of the league table with a mere 12 points after 16 games. What is disheartening for the loyal Wanderers supporters is that the team had shown signs of resurgence since the beginning of the year, going unbeaten in two matches in the league.
Notably, they secured a hard-fought victory against defending champions Green Mamba and managed a thrilling comeback from two goals down to hold their arch-rivals, Moneni Pirates, to a pulsating 2-all draw in the Manzini derby last weekend. However, the match against Leopard unleashed chaos, resulting in their eighth loss of the season. The hub side’s last league defeat occurred on December 9, against newly-promoted Illovo, where they suffered a disappointing 4-3 setback at Prince of Wales.
Turning to the game itself, the visitors demonstrated their hunger and desire to annex maximum points. Just before the half-hour mark, Banele ‘Neymar’ Shongwe executed a brilliant throughpass that set Muzi Mzoro Dlamini on a clear path to goal. Dlamini expertly volleyed the ball, evading Sandile ‘Nkomishi’ Ginindza and finding the top right corner of the net, leaving the goalkeeper completely beaten.
Five minutes later, Nkomishi’s costly error led to Wanderers conceding
their second goal. Junior Magagula intercepted a pass from the goalkeeper and finished with precision, making it 2-0 as Nkomishi was far out of position following his blunder.
The maroon and white side came dangerously close to conceding a third goal when Mlamuli ‘Mlaba’ Nkambule dispossessed the opposition inside the box. However, Neymar’s shot grazed the woodwork, resulting in a goal kick. This incident sparked anger, with Coach Nyanga Hlophe standing up from his technical area to warn his players about such defensive lapses.
SAVED
Wanderers almost narrowed the deficit to 2-1 ten minutes before halftime when Banele ‘Banny’ Mdluli’s volley was saved by the agile Ncamiso ‘Mbhonyo’ Dlamini. The Weslians were on the verge of reducing the gap further, but a powerful volley from Smanga Shongwe was expertly saved by ‘Mbhonyo’ just five minutes before the halftime whistle.
After the restart, Neymar extended Leopard’s lead to 3-0, within nine minutes, capitalising on a goalmouth scramble and finishing with a back heel from close range. Lungelo Simelane, a product of SuperSport United’s development programme, delivered the final blow by receiving a well-placed pass from Magagula. Simelane surged towards the box, beat the advancing Nkomishi, and sealed the victory with a confident strike, making it 4-0.
Despite conceding four goals, the spirited Wanderers managed to rally and score two goals late in the game, reminiscent of their comeback against Pirates. Phathizwe Mabuza tapped in a chest-trapped ball from Sihle Mkhonta’s precise cross ten minutes before full time. And just when the fans were leaving the stadium, Ndumiso Dlamini unleashed a magnificent strike in the added five minutes of stoppage time, igniting hope among the home supporters before Referee Leticia Vianna blew the final whistle.