When Blue Birds Ladies FC defender Molly Mathole rose above the crowd to nod in a header just under 15 minutes after the game began, the early signs pointed to a promising outcome for the Blue Birds in the fiercely contested Alex derby.
But the momentum was short-lived. FC Raycon Ladies’ Samaria Gaba scored an equaliser with a well-taken header, levelling the score 1-1.

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Despite multiple attempts by both teams to secure a second goal, the Saturday Sasol League fixture at the Alex Safe Hub ended in a draw, an unsatisfactory outcome for both teams.

Blue Birds coach Malvin Khumalo said they went into the game with clear intentions of winning, but despite their determination, the match ended in a stalemate, marking the Blue Birds’ fourth consecutive draw in their last four games. “I am still trying to process why we keep drawing in so many games. Yes, we are unbeatable, but at the same time, we need to start winning certain games,” he shared.

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He said in their previous matches, they had played better than they did on Saturday. “I expected more. We wanted to take the game to them, create chances, and score. But sometimes I think the occasion overwhelms our players. It’s a derby, and I think that pressure affects their performance.”

Last week, Raycon coach Koketso Matsemela said he was hoping for a derby win in this week’s fixture, especially with his sights set on breaking into the top eight. He was quite adamant that they would get maximum points, owing to the two teams’ head-to-head clash earlier this year in which Raycon beat the Blue Birds 2-0. However, his hopes were dashed as familiar challenges plagued his team.

“We have this tendency of starting the game slow,” he admitted. This is a similar concern he raised after the previous 1-1 draw against Hallelujah Zebra Force on September 13. Reflecting on Saturday’s game, he noted that the Blue Birds’ early goal stemmed from his team’s sluggish start. “We started inviting them into our half, and then they drew the first blood. But we managed to come back and we got an equaliser,” he noted.

Despite the setback, Matsemela acknowledged the quality of the opposition. “Blue Birds are a good team, a solid development side. It’s always tough playing against them. But I still believe we could’ve done better.”

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