Finally it’s winds of change for Tornado
Mdantsane side earn win over their ‘bogey’ team
ABC Motsepe League log- leaders Tornado stood up to their bogey team, EC Bees, beating them 2-1 at East London’s North End Stadium at the weekend.
The weekend clash was the third local derby between the teams since the 2017-18 season began, and Bees have managed to upset Tornado on two occasions.
Bees had the beating of Tornado in a league encounter at the start of the season and in the Nedbank Cup preliminary stages, but coach Chippa Njedu was not deflated by the latest result in the league.
Njedu admitted to being outplayed and he also had words of encouragement for the National First Division playoffs hopefuls.
“After a long time we’ve been beating Tornado, but in football you have to accept defeat and not say you lost because of this and that.
“Because it will seem like you are making excuses because losing is part of the game,” said Njedu.
He said he had to reshuffle their entire squad in the build-up due to injuries.
Njedu was missing four regulars in his starting line, including Bongani “Jaguar” Chikila who scored their only goal in a Nedbank Cup loss to Mamelodi Sundowns recently.
Also missing in action was man-ofthe-match shotstopper Khaya Mini.
“Four players in my starting lineup were not playing because they were injured – our defender Lonwabo Mhlakazi was there.
“Siphe-Sihle Mtule and our goalkeeper Mini were also not there,” the coach said.
“And this forced us to make many changes in the squad, but I don’t want to say that’s why we lost, but at the end of the day it contributed towards the results.
“Because you can’t change four players in your starting lineup and think that things will be normal in the field of play, as much we trust all our players.”
Njedu said their past record of statistics also showed that after they played in the Nedbank Cup tournament they usually struggled with their first game following that, in the third-tier league.
“All my starting lineup players finished the entire game against Sundowns so they might have been fatigued.
“And this always is the case when we return from playing the Nedbank Cup, I don’t know why it happens.
“Like last season when we played against Orlando Pirates – we lost our first game in the league and even three seasons back we also lost our first game in the league.”
Njedu said Tornado gave them a run for their money.
He said Tornado possessed all the right ingredients to play in the First Division playoffs.
With nine games left in the league, the win has put Tshepo Motsoeneng’s charges on 60 points at the summit of the log-standings while Njedu’s side remained in the third position with 40 points.
“They [Tornado] are ready for the NFD playoffs because they really played well and they have been doing great in the league,” said Njedu.
“But I’m also happy with my boys because they played really well and that makes me happy seeing that they lost fighting. They didn’t just sit down and watch while we are getting beaten. And it’s even better when you as coach understand what is a lose and I think they also ready to play in the NFD.”
Other results were: Matta Milan 4 Lion City 0, Tornado 2 EC Bees 1, Butterworth 0 PE Stars 0, Try Again 1 City Lads 2, Bizana Pondo Chiefs 1 Spears 2, Sibanye 1 Highbury 1.