Top guns fire the right ammo
Pondo Chiefs, Madibaz win
BIZANA Pondo Chiefs and Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan University Madibaz got their SAB provincial playoffs at the University of Fort Hare in Alice off to a positive start as they registered first-day victories yesterday.
Chiefs beat Birmingham City 3-1 in their opening Group A game at field B while Madibaz narrowly edged a spirited AC Milan 3-2 in a closely contested game in Field A.
Because of their superior goal difference Chiefs are top of the group dubbed the “group of death”.
Madibaz are second on the table while City are third and Milan at the bottom of the standings.
The games had to be delayed by 35 minutes because of unmarked lines on Field B.
Officials were still busy marking the lines, checking the nets and putting up corner flags while the teams waited on the fields.
AC Milan was the more comfortable team on the ball as they dictated the pace of the game well and played some beautiful interchange passes while Madibaz played more direct football hoping to use their big and strong forwards.
But the students were guilty of missing some good chances.
Madibaz winger Bandile Skosana finally broke the deadlock in the 18th minute when he found himself unmarked at the far post to tap into the net.
The Libode-based Milan hit back when midfielder Siphamandla Ncomani scored a beauty of a free-kick from the edge of the box in the 33rd minute.
Madibaz striker Farouk Abrahams was gifted an easy goal when Milan goalkeeper Mzwandile Luzizi failed to hold on to a tame free-kick, allowing the target man to pounce on the rebound.
Ncomani once again drew his side level, this time from 20th minute Chiefs when attacking midfielder Shakes Nuba met a long throw-in and fired past the helpless goalkeeper.
The Duncan Village outfit tried to get back into the game but whenever they launched an attack, they could not penetrate the solid Chiefs defence.
City’s Siyabulela Mtshalala levelled matters in the 50th minute.
That goal seemed to inspire the Buffalo City Metro champions but as they attacked, they left gaps which Chiefs exploited well.
This led to Aluncedo Mazwi netting his side’s second as he found himself one-on-one with the keeper.
City attacked relentlessly as they searched for the equaliser but Siphelele Qumba killed the match as a contest when he scored the third goal for Chiefs in the last five minutes of the game.
Today the two-day playoffs come to an end with the two teams topping their respective groups promoted to the ABC Motsepe League for the 2017-18 season.
Milan lodged a protest against one of the Madibaz player whom they claim plays in the ABC Motsepe League.
Should their protest be successful as they claim to have proof of the player allegedly playing in the third tier, yesterday’s result could be reversed with Milan given the three points.
This could boost the team’s chances of gaining promotion.