Grit pays off for Malandela Mighty Heroes
ALEXANDRA – I’m happy that we’re hot contenders for the league title, says the Young Master.
Grit and determination paid off for Malandela Mighty Heroes when the Alex side came from a goal down to beat Varsity College FC 2–1.
This was at the highly contested SAB League match played at the Alexandra Stadium on March 13, which involved two of the four sides that are vying for the regional league honours, with only three matches to go.
All the four teams, which includes Malandela and Varsity College, another Alex side Black Poison and a Westbury outfit Munich FC, are all separated by only two or so points as the league race hots up towards closure.
From the word go in this game, Malandela, buoyed by virtue of being the home side, turned the heat on the visitors with telling runs and a high number of shots at goals. But for the Varsity College side, the three or so scoring opportunities that fell on their way, one of them resulted in a goal.
The opening goal of the match came in the 14th minute of the game through the boot of Varsity College’s Ryan Arends, who had one of the easiest tap-ins of a goal from a cross by Thato Rapoo.
Shortly after scoring, Arends almost got his brace from yet another through ball from Rapoo, but the move was well-read by Malandela keeper Mahlatse Lebepe who let the ball drift off the ground.
Malandela’s Tshepo Pitso, popularly known by his nickname of ‘Messi’, had his well-taken effort parried over the crossbar by Varsity keeper Nkosinathi Khumalo and the two sides went into half-time with Varsity leading 1-0.
On resumption, Messi tried a long-range shot from an acute angle, but the ball sliced across the face of goals. This was immediately followed by a clear run for the goals by Thokozani ‘Majaqamba’ Nyathi, whose effort earned him afoul right inside the box.
The referee never hesitated in pointing to the penalty spot and keeper Lebepe put his hand up to take the penalty kick and rattled the net to level the goals at 1–1 after sending Varsity keeper Khumalo the wrong way.
The final nail in the coffin of the Varsity side came through the boot of Majaqamba, hot on the heels of yet another Messi miss. Another Messi attempt went begging, as it found no one inside the box to tap it into the goals.
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