Victory for Umlilo in tournament
Due to their opponent's strategy, Umlilo FC was able to win each and every ball kicked to their side.
Umlilo FC beat Ivory Shakers in a Top 4 Soccer Tournament on May 2 at the Phomolong Sports Grounds.
The tournament entertained locals on the public holiday when four teams locked horns for an overall prize of R4 000.
“The tournament was well organised and all the teams were competitive,” said Umlilo’s coach, Nyiko Hlongwane.
He said in the first game his team played against Seipati FC, winning 3-2.
“In our final game, against Ivory Shakers, we won 2-1. It was a tough one and we had to change our game plan to play a 4-3-3 formation to spread out our opponents,” said Hlongwane.
He said the strategy enabled Umlilo FC to penetrate the rival team on the open field because the opponents played along with the game plan.
“We were able to create two versus one and that enabled us to break them down. They also changed their approach and attacked using route one, meaning they decided to kick their balls forward,” said Hlongwane.
He said due to their opponent’s strategy, Umlilo FC was able to win each and every ball kicked to their side. There was no substitute because Hlongwane felt the boys on the bench could not match the game’s tempo.
Umlilo’s first goal came in the first 15 minutes of the game and was scored by Nyere. Twenty minutes before the end of the game, Ivory Shakers scored an equaliser. In the last five minutes of the game, Umlilo FC disappointed their rivals when Sterm scored the final goal of the tournament, ending the game with a score of 2-1 in favor of Umlilo FC.
