Mix-up makes for big crowd at weekend soccer ‘festival’
SUPERB: Tendai ‘Beast’ Mtawarira made his presence felt in the Sharks’ 50-22 win over the Sunwolves in Durban on Saturday. SAFA leagues in the Northern Cape combined their weekend fixtures on Saturday which resulted in a much larger than usual attendance at the Galeshewe Stadium and made for a roaring festive atmosphere that is rarely experienced at match stadia.
Over the weekend Safa’s senior ABC Motsepe League and the fourth tier SAB League converged on the same venue. No league official was on hand to explain the change of venue of these fixtured games. Originally separate lists issued early on in the week by both leagues had indicated that they will be using different stadia for their games.
Hive of activity
However, the mix-up was not all bad news. By the time ABC Motsepe League team Kuruman Kicks ran out against NC Liverpool, the grandstand and part of the adjacent embankments were already a hive of activity as spectators cheered on their favourites sides.
It transpired that some of the fans were supporters of Macarena FC and The Students FC as well as Pescodia Porto (aka Pes Porto) and Real Madrid who had played in earlier matches.
In the day’s closing game, Kicks absorbed pressure from Liverpool from the fifth minute when they conceded the first of four goals against them. Xolani Makhubu of Liverpool was the first to find the net (1-0).
His teammate Itumeleng Olyn followed suit in the 40th minute with goal number two. The teams went into the break with Liverpool enjoying a two-goal lead.
Kicks played a slick styled football with precise interpassing but failed to hit the back of the net. Liverpool for their part found the net twice in the second half through Mompati Mokoto’s brace (4-0).
Kicks team manager Mpoko Dingakeng said he was not worried about a good result. He claimed his side was safe from being relegated even though they are floating at the bottom of the log.
Dingakeng claimed another team, which he named, was in worse trouble than his. Insofar as Kicks were concerned they will be among the teams which will be playing in the unified ABC Motsepe league in the new 2019 season, he said.
Meanwhile, for the record Macarena drew 3-all against Hartswater team The Students.
ANd in the follow-up game Real Madrid showed little respect to the top riding Pes Porto and were rewarded with a 1-all draw in the end. Charles Ndlovu opened Madrid’s account while Aldine Jantjies provided the equaliser for Porto.
The drawn result is the second in the season for rookie SAB league team Pes Porto who seemingly have a title deed on the number one spot of the SAB league. Rebels
Reds Crusaders
Waratahs 3 Highlanders 2 Brumbies 3
Blues Sunwolves Jaguares Chiefs 3
3 3
3 3 4 2 3
2 2
1 2 1
1 0 1 1 0
0 0
1 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
1 1
1 0 2
2 3 3 1 115
57 109
86 74 52
93 64 94 50 46
69 80
89 49 76
103 119 137 66 69
-12 29
-3 25 -24
-10 -55 -43 -16 15
8 10
6 9 4
6 1 4 4
nament finalists of last year. It was the first defeat in four matches for the Highveld outfit while the Blues notched up their first success in three fixtures.
The two sides played a high-octane, attacking game and each team scored five tries, with exciting young wing Aphiwe Dyantyi scoring his fourth try in as many games. The Ioane brothers Rieko (2) and Akira, scored three of the Blues’ tries.
In the early match on Saturday morning (SA time) that was played in Brisbane, the Vodacom Bulls came close to a win but the Reds did just enough to edge them 20-14 at the Suncorp Stadium. Although the visitors raced into a 14-3 lead, it was the Reds who did well to secure the majority of possession after the interval. John Mitchell’s team now have assignments in New Zealand against the Chiefs and Crusaders.
The DHL Stormers was first in action on Friday morning in Dunedin and they succumbed to a 33-15 defeat to the Highlanders. Nineteen-year-old flyhalf Damian Willemse had a bright match for the Cape side while another promising youngster Salmaan Moerat (lock), came on as a substitute to make his tournament debut.
Elsewhere, the Rebels outplayed the Brumbies in their Australian Conference derby in Melbourne and moved up to first place on the overall log with 15 points following their third straight bonus-point victory. And in Wellington, the Hurricanes deservedly beat the Crusaders 29-19 to top the early New Zealand conference table.
In the last fixture of the round played late on Saturday night in Buenos Aires, home side Jaguares defeated the Waratahs 38-28 after storming to a 33-7 half-time lead. The Argentine side scored their first win in four matches to end their worst ever starting run. – ANA
RESULTS ROUND-UP: Highlanders 33-15
Reds 20-14 Bulls
Sharks 50-22 Sunwolves
Lions 35-38 Blues
Rebels 33-10 Brumbies Hurricanes 29-19 Crusaders Jaguares Waratahs