Tsakani – The U13 teams, Flying Birds and Abagqilazi FC, recently went head-to-head at Malandela Ground in a heated soccer match.

The two teams put up a fight as neither wanted to lose. The spectators went wild as Flying Birds constantly missed goal-scoring opportunities. Abagqilazi FC scored their first goal a few minutes before half-time.

A minute into the second half, Flying Birds scored their equalising goal, bringing the score to 1-1. Their coach, Class Selala, said the first half went well as they displayed unity and partnership.

“We communicated effectively and managed to contain our misunderstandings while on the ground. We made mistakes, but not that many. My strikers failed to score goals for us, but our defenders were active.

“The boys played with so much energy and enthusiasm, which proves that they were determined to win the game,” explained Selala.

Selala said they regrouped in the second half, and that is how they were able to score an equalising goal. He said he was disappointed in his strikers as they had great potential to score more than three goals.

“I am happy that we managed to score a single goal. We made minor mistakes that can be rectified during practice,” he said.

The game ended in favour of Abagqilazi FC, who won 2–1. Their coach, Sanele Yikani, said he was beyond thrilled to have won the game in such a great way.

“The first half was very competitive. It was an end-to-end game because we all attacked each other. That is how we made minor and careless mistakes.

“Our opponents played with highballs, and they were much taller than us. That is how they scored their first goal,” explained Yikani.

“During halftime, I pointed out our biggest mistake: our defensive midfielder was slightly off his game. I made a substitution, and it made a big difference.

“The new player brought fresh energy, which worked in our favour. He even helped by scoring our second goal.

“We are grateful for winning the game; the team put in a lot of effort to win,” he said.

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