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Soweto’s MTN8 hopes evaporate as Swallows are swept away by City
City hammer the Birds 4-0 in the second leg of the MTN8 semifinal at Dobsonville Stadium.
Surprise Ralani celebrates scoring against Swallows on Wednesday in the MTN8 semifinal. Picture: Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix
Dark clouds hung over Soweto and Johannesburg on Wednesday evening as the weather promised the first rains of the season. But while this is traditionally a celebrated event, it left Soweto in darkness as its last hope in the MTN8 was washed away with the winter dust that was swept away by the rains.
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One of the world-famous township’s oldest football clubs, Swallows FC, were taken to the cleaners by Cape Town City, beating them 4-0 in the second leg of their semifinal at Dobsonville Stadium.
City have now booked their place in the final where they will meet the unforgiving Mamelodi Sundowns, who beat Golden Arrows a day earlier.
With the weather threatening to spoil the occasion, the game was a little more open than the last two ties between the two sides.
A moment of brilliance between Terence Mashego and Surprise Ralani saw City take the lead four minutes from the end of the first half with a well-constructed goal.
Swallows made some changes at half time with Mwape Musonda coming on for Zephaniah Mbokoma and Mbulelo Wambi taking Lehlogonolo Matlou’s place.
The change gave the home side some attacking impetus and they started making some promising attack plays.
Musonda could have scored in the 53rd minute from a quick counterattack from the Dube Birds but his shot hit the post after he had effortlessly rounded City keeper Hugo Marques.
But just as they should have thought they had something to fight for, they were dealt a heavy blow when Fagrie Lakay scored City’s second in the 57th minute. He managed to win the ball as Swallows were trying to build from the back, noticed Virgil Vries off his line, and chipped the ball over him.
A minute later, Lakay was again one-on-one with the keeper but could not keep his shot on target and sent it wide with Vries swimming.
As heavy as the game had become for Swallows, they tried to put on brave faces and soldier on. But they were caught on the counter again in the 69th minute with Ralani finishing the move to complete his brace. Edmilson Dove scored the fourth goal with two minutes to go.
