Ill ‘ —ro’ be ‘poa…Šed’ o—t oˆ allies …lasŠǫ

WINNING ugly is part of the game and as the league title race remains open to the top four clubs, leaders and defending champions Royal Leopard have a 2-1 first round deficit to overturn against a stubborn Tambankulu Callies.

The interesting factor here is that Callies’ head coach is police officer, former Leopard decorated player and head coach with a quadruple success as the latter, Sifiso ‘Nuro’ Ntibane. When Callies beat Leopard, he was still with Lobamba-based side, Tinyosi who are fighting for survival this season. Tinyosi are placed second from bottom on the standings and have a date with Manzini Wanderers at the Prince of Wales Sports Ground in a must-win match to keep their fight alive, or they may have to accept the battle has been lost especially if Milling Hot Spurs and Denver Sundowns win. Callies are buoyed coming to this match as they won their previous match last Sunday. They beat Tinyosi 2-1 as they also look to seal the fifth spot in the next two matches, if not this afternoon depending on how they and their close competition fare. With Callies safe in the position with a four-point gap at least for this week, the onus is on Leopard to win the match to stay at the top as there is no telling how Mbabane Highlanders will play against Vovovo. It is now of a ‘you snooze, you lose’ situation in the top four, just the survival battle is turning out at the bottom, where about eight teams are still in for the axe as four teams are set for relegation. Callies will have to deal with their own-made forward in Wandile ‘Shaka’ Simelane who scored Leopard’s equaliser last weekend. He was signed this season from Callies. But will Nuro be in the Callies dugout this afternoon or he will be on duty? It remains to be seen but experience is the best teacher and Callies will certainly be prepared for it.

PPLLAYYEERSSTTO WATTCH::

Wandile ‘Shaka’ Simelane (Leopard forward)

Jabulani Mpimbili (Callies forward)