Final four ready to fight for honours

This past weekend Shongwe Chiefs, Mashaba United, Classic Magogeni, and Blizzards advance to the semi-finals of the Tsamaya soccer tournament.

Among the teams that bowed out of the competition was Driekoppies Barcelona who had the most home ground advantage.

Despite Barcelona winning the midfield battle against Blizzard, and opening the scoring after 30 minutes of play, Barcelona’s trophy chase came to a dramatic end.

In less the five minutes after Barcelona opened the scoring, Blizzards responded to the goal and levelled matters once more.

Leading into the 45-minute mark Blizzards begun showing that they were not there just to fill up numbers, but to play.

Blizzards took the game to Barcelona by creating more scoring opportunities and attacking for the remainder of time before the half-time break.

Teams went into the break levelled at 1-1, leaving a spot in the last for for anyone’s taking.

Barcelona came back into the second half intent on putting the game beyond Blizzards reach when they regained the lead.

As fortune would have it Blizzards seemed to be running out of ideas on how to get back into the game.

This was until the 70-minute mark when an early dive by Barcelona’s goalkeeper, Vincent Metiso, gave way for Blizzards’ Vusi Mhlongo to manoeuvre past Metiso and find himself one-on-one with the net.

The goal brought Blizzards back to level at 2-2 with Barcelona.

The game had to be decided on penalties where yet again it seemed to be a bad day at the office for Barcelona’s goalkeepers, when substitute goalkeeper Sandiso Shongwe, stepped up to the penalty spot and struck the crossbar in penalty retake.

The retake was called by the linesman who said Blizzards’ goalkeeper Bheki Groundo was off his line too quickly.

Blizzards advanced to the last four after winning 4-2 on penalties.

Speaking to Corridor Gazette on Tuesday morning, the sponsor of the tourney, Mfanukhona Shongwe, said, “On Sunday we will be crowning the champions of the tournament and, looking at the teams which have gone through to the semi-finals, the final promises to be a very interesting encounter regardless of which teams will advance on Saturday. Unfortunately there are teams which we were hoping to see in the final, but this is soccer and it is as unpredictable as any other sport.”

Results

•Mashaba United 4 vs Small Chiefs 3

•Shongwe Chiefs 4 vs Schuzdale Sundowns 2

•Classic Magogeni 4 vs Home Defenders 1

This weekend’s fixtures

February 15

• 13:30 – Shongwe Chiefs vs Mashaba United

• 15:30 – Classic Magogeni vs Blizzards

February 16

• Winners of semi-final encounters.