Alex Birds have their wings clipped at home
Bluebirds Ladies have put their pride aside and went on their knees to ask talented prodigal daughter Zingawe Phakathi and Nyatama Mnguni to come to the team to help bolster the morale of the young players.
Two goals in each half were enough to see Springs Home Sweepers Ladies collect maximum points from a Gauteng Sasol Women’s League match played at the Alexandra Stadium on May 22.
The Sweepers’ side managed to clip the wings of Alex’s ‘Beautiful Birds’ as the Bluebirds Ladies outfit has become to be affectionately known in the iconic townships that mark 110 years of existence this year.
The Birds were beaten 2-1 after collecting a consolation goal late in the match through the boot of reliable stalwart Anele Hlongwane who has recovered from a prolonged injury.
There are two return soldiers to the Birds side, one being their prodigal daughter, Zingawe Phakathi, who unceremoniously left the beautiful game a couple of years ago but returned at some stage, disappeared again, only to return again this season.
The Birds started the game like a house on fire and prodigal daughter number two, Vangile ‘Nyatama’ Mnguni, was in the thick of things, asking numerous questions on the Sweepers keeper in search of an opening goal.
Taking their foot off the pedal slightly allowed the Sweepers to take control of the game and when Molly Mathole handled the ball on the fringes of the penalty box, the referee awarded a free kick to the visitors in the 30th minute of the game and Banele Maseko made no mistake as she rattled the net.
The game went to the half-time break with the visitors leading the home side 1–0 and in just 10 minutes of resumption, Tabita Duma found the back of the net to put her side two goals up.
Late in the game, the coach made a double substitution and brought in Zingawe and Hlongwane, and the latter made an immediate impact, scoring the consolation goal with her first touch of the ball.
Birds assistant coach Bulelani Maphanjwa said the predicament they found themselves in as a team, forced to go fish out Zingawe in the township and bring her back to help the youngsters.
“Nyatama has never left the Birds,” he said but Alex News did a story in July 2019 when Nyatama left to look for greener pastures in the National Women’s League.
“We hope the return of a few senior players will bolster the morale of the youngsters and propel them to do more.”
Related articles:
