Acornbush show real intent
Buya Msuthu joins United at top of group A
BOTH Buya Msuthu and Acornbush United won their games at Buffalo City Stadium yesterday and are now joint ABC Motsepe playoff Group A leaders – with four points each.
Buya Msuthu escaped as 1-0 victors over The Dolphins, of Limpopo, while Acornbush edged Maccabi FC 1-0 in a closely contested affair.
Acornbush will have a chance to extend their lead at the summit of the so-called group of death when they lock horns with The Dolphins at Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane today at 3pm in their third game of the playoffs.
Buya Msuthu will have a bye today.
In the game of the day, Buya Msuthu once again proved that ball possession does not win games but goals do, as The Dolphins had the lion’s share of the ball.
In a brilliant transitional play, Buya Msuthu took the lead in the 23rd minute when quick one-two passes found Bathusi Aubaas unmarked in the box.
He easily slotted the ball past a helpless Bongani Mtshali who could do nothing but watch as the ball went into the net.
Conceding the early goal did not discourage the Bochum Senwabarwana-based outfit as they stuck to their game plan and kept possession well.
Inpressive midfielders Mphindisi Selepe, Xilani Nkala and David Wauchope dictated the pace of the game well and kept the crowd entertained with their skills and pinpoint accurate diagonal passes.
But to the credit of Buya Msuthu, they allowed the Limpopo champions to keep the ball in areas where they could not really hurt them.
When The Dolphins reached the final third of the pitch, Buya Msuthu defenders stood their ground and kept them at bay.
The second half was characterised by missed chances from both sides. In the first half of the game, Acornbush United edged Maccabi FC 1-0 in a closely contested affair.
Acornbush had to wait until the 84th minute to find the winner when central defender Mzwandile Buthelezi rose up well to head past Maccabi goalkeeper Brad Norman.
Both Acornbush and Maccabi were too cautious in the first half as neither team wanted to concede first.
They congested the middle of the park in an attempt to dictate the pace of the game.
But, surprisingly, both teams opted to play balls behind the defenders – a tactic that did not work but had the effect of both teams playing pingpong instead of good carpet soccer.
With the exception of a shot on target by Maccabi right-back Nathaniel Tladi from the edge of the box which forced a diving save from Smiso Ndlela in the 34th minute, the opening half failed to produce any sparks.
Today’s fixtures, all being played at the Sisa Dukashe Stadium, are: E C Bees v Uthongathi (9am); Zizwe United v Mainstay United (11am); Maccabi v Super Eagles (1pm); and The Dolphins v Acornbush (3pm).