End of road for Tornado
Loss to Hungry Lions a bitter blow as NFD promotion hope blown
One goal from Thokozani Ngubane was not enough to keep Tornado in their fight for National First Division (NFD) promotion.
Tornado lost 2-1 against Hungry Lions in the ABC Motsepe League promotional playoffs currently under way at Erica Park in Cape Town on Thursday.
The loss saw Tshepo Motsoeneng’s charges missing out on a promotion to NFD and a R1m grand prize after botching their chances to reach the semifinals in a must-win encounter against the Northern Cape representatives. They are due back home on Friday.
The club’s acting chairperson, Yanga Nyobo, said her boys lost focus during their “most important clash” against Hungry Lions, a result that saw them bow out of the competition.
The Mdantsane-based reigning champions had a tough start to the game, which ended in heartbreak when the Lions opened the scoring in the fourth minute, and the provincial side levelled in the 75th minute through a brace from striker Thokozani Ngubane.
But Nyobo believes their dreams were killed in the second stanza, when the Lions scored again in the 85th minute.
“We just lost focus in the second half, because that 1-all score was good for us. It was a matter of defending well, and we’d still be in the running for the title,” said Nyobo.
“In the second half we had to be on high alert and we dropped the ball, with their opponents taking their chances.”
The disheartened Nyobo lauded her technical team and the players for the bravery they showed throughout the competition.
“It was about the 30 minutes remaining on the clock and we failed to hold on, because we trailed for most of the game.
“But then we managed to regroup and get everyone to work as a team. Fortunately I saw them pushing the opposition away from our territory, and that helped to bring a bit of stability on our defences.
“But that was ruined by one mistake. Our keeper [Khanya Mini] was outplayed with an easy ball. I don’t know whether he saw that ball or what, but he just stood there and did nothing as the ball went in,” said Nyobo.
Nyobo said they would be returning to the drawing board after both their back-to-back attempts at the playoffs have been unsuccessful.
Last season Tornado drew both games in the group stages at the Polokwane playoffs, and they were automatically knocked out in the group stages.
On Tuesday they managed to salvage a 2-all draw against Mangaung United that saw them collect a point, and a draw in Thursday’s game could have saved them.
“We gave it our best, and I guess that was not enough for us to go through. But our boys played well.
“It’s just small errors we committed during the game. It’s that lack of concentration I spoke about, but they were definitely ready to play at this stage.
“I think they forgot they still had to finish the game before thinking about the possibilities the win would bring to the club.”