A well-timed triple substitution gave FC Raycon Ladies the edge they needed to draw first blood against Hallelujah Zebra Force in the Sasol League. But despite the early breakthrough, the match ended in a familiar 1–1 draw.

The Saturday result after the clash at the Alex Safe Hub follows a similar outcome in May at the Bana Sports Field in Pretoria, which also ended in a stalemate.

On Saturday, the first half of the game was a tense clash with neither team able to open the scoring. Raycon’s breakthrough came in the second half, shortly after a triple substitution which introduced three experienced players.

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According to head coach Koketso Matsemela, the changes had an immediate impact. “We made three substitutions with three experienced players, and they came into the game and showed up. Five minutes after the substitution, we managed to get a goal.”

Zebra Force equalised later in the match after converting a free kick. Matsemela noted that the team tends to lose focus after scoring, which may have contributed to conceding the equaliser.

“Unfortunately, we tend to relax, and that is something that is always happening. I think maybe it’s the fatigue or lack of concentration.” He also commented on the goalkeeper’s performance during the free-kick that led to Zebra’s goal, suggesting there was room for improvement.

While Raycon started slowly, Matsemela felt the team was well-prepared defensively, particularly against Zebra Force’s long-ball approach. However, he acknowledged that the team lacked confidence in attack and combination play.

“We have players who can shoot from any distance. I just think they lacked confidence, maybe because of our position on the log.” Matsemela stressed the importance of building confidence and maintaining focus throughout the game.

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Although Zebra’s coach, Clement Choane, commended both teams for playing well, he cited some of the mistakes his players made.

“My players lose focus, and their decision-making was wrong. A person would get the ball alone, but would pass it even though she is not tackled. Raycon was defending, but instead of holding the ball when we got it, my players would take it out unnecessarily.

“We told these girls to get to Raycon. The more they get to them, the more they make mistakes. You can see how they committed a foul trying to stop our attack, then we got a goal.”

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