Stars march to big date with Buccaneers
PLATINUM Stars have earned their first-ever place in the MTN 8 final, and in some style.
Dikwena stuck to a disciplined gameplan and fed off Bidvest Wits’ frustrations to tough out a 2-1 win at Bidvest Stadium in last night’s semifinal second leg, for a 6-3 aggregate victory.
Stars meet Orlando Pirates in Saturday’s final at Moses Mabhida Stadium. Their emphatic 4-2 win in the first leg meant Dikwena could come to a compact pitch and largely defend. Wits tried to play at a high tempo to score the two goals they needed, and had their chances. But a defensive lapse allowed Robert N’gambi to put Stars 1-0 up in the 60th minute.
Denver Mukamba pulled one back in the 72nd, but N’gambi’s second six minutes later sent Gavin Hunt’s Students back to school.
The departure of coach Cavin Johnson — who guided Dikwena to second place in the PSL last season — to SuperSport United was supposed to sound the death knell for Stars. But Johnson’s former assistant, Allan Freeze, has continued where his predecessor left off.
Freeze, not surprisingly, played a defensive 4-5-1 and had his side probe on the counter-attack. They executed their tactics superbly.
On a compact pitch that has served the Students so well as a fortress home ground, Wits struggled to find the width to pull the Stars defence open.
Stars really were like platinum in defence for the opening 25 minutes. Wits knew a goal before the break could ease the pressure, and stepped up the tempo even more.
Sibusiso Vilakazi’s skidding shot in the 26th troubled Stars goalkeeper Siyabonga Mpontshane, though not greatly. A better-struck effort from Ryan Chapman was straight at Mpontshane. In the 31st minute, Benjani Mwaruwari fashioned space for himself and shot even harder, though wide.
It did seem a surprise that Hunt started with his two most dangerous scorers, Robin Ngalande and Getaneh Kebede, on the bench.
The two replaced Matthew Pat- tison and Mwaruwari at the break.
Siphelele Mthembu’s rocket skimmed the bar and almost made the game safe for Stars in the 47th.
Ngalande had perhaps the best chance to get Wits into the tie when he had space to control and volleyed over on the bounce.
In the 60th minute it was all over for Wits. Vuyo Mere’s cross from the right bounced awkwardly behind Students defender Tinashe Nengomasha and goalkeeper Moeneeb Josephs could only parry. The rebound fell for N'gambi to finish into an open goal.
Mukamba headed home Kebede’s cross, but too late, and N’gambi combined with Mere again, scrambling in the full-back’s cross, to seal a famous win for Stars.