Raiders FC had a strong first-half performance, scoring two goals and conceding only one against Mhlaba FC during their ANLFA Promotional League fixture at the Alex Safe Hub on May 31.

But in the second half, Raiders’ goalkeeper, Gavin Mandlati, came under immense pressure as Mhlaba relentlessly pushed for an equaliser, rapidly testing him with powerful shots.

Even by his own admission, Mandlati said it was intense. He knew it could only take a single mistake for their fate to change.

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“The second half was really intense. You could see they kept attacking, building up to our box. It was not easy,” he said.

However, the smile on his face when Raiders scored their final goal said it all; the pressure had finally lifted. “I was really relieved because when it was 2–1, it was really tough for me. I was under pressure, and I thought, ‘What if I make a mistake that might cost us the entire league?’”

He confirmed what many spectators had witnessed, noting that Mhlaba’s second-half attacks were worrying and came dangerously close to producing the equaliser they needed. Mandlati faced it all, long-range shots, close-range attempts, free kicks, and frightening corners, but even under pressure, he managed to block most of Mhlaba’s shots on target.

When Raiders scored their third goal, Mandlati knew Mhlaba’s hopes of equalising now depended on them conceding two more goals, and this was an unlikely scenario. By the time the fourth goal went in, he was completely relieved, knowing the game was too far gone for Mhlaba to recover.

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Mhlaba coach, Ndabezinhle Mhlaba, attributed the 1–4 loss to errors made during the game, especially in the second half. He said that while the mandate was to push for an equaliser, his players made the mistake of neglecting their defensive duties.

“When we were looking for an equaliser, that is where we made a mistake. We were attacking more and defending less.”

Still, he reflected on the match with contentment, noting that he was pleased with his team’s overall performance despite the errors.

For him, the loss was not due to poor performance but rather a lack of luck, and a Raiders goalkeeper who refused to let anything past him.

“We did not have luck to score. And their goalkeeper was good. If you check the shots on target that we had, there were so many, but we could not score goals.”

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