The Rhodes University Soccer Club’s 1st men’s team remain unbeaten in the Port Elizabeth Football Association’s (PEFA) First Division league.
The Rhodes University Soccer Club’s 1st men’s team remain unbeaten in the Port Elizabeth Football Association’s (PEFA) First Division league.
The Rhodes team have played 12 matches, winning 11 and drawing one. Team coach Mandla Gagaya said this record was last achieved by the Rhodes 1st team in 2005. Their latest match was played against Hearts football Club in Port Elizabeth, with the visitors winning 4-1.
The past four matches have seen Rhodes playing with a full team of 11 players with no reserves due to many of the players going home for the holiday period. This also left the side without a coach on the bench as both coaches played on the team in order to make up 11 players.
“This achievement has been made possible by Rhodes soccer’s strategy of signing players from the township to cover for students during vacation,” said Gagaya. These players are Asanda Matomela, Malibongwe Mbembe, Sivuyile Mfondini and Xolani Ngqiyaza “who really came on board and showed the kind of commitment and passion that any coach would be proud of,” said Gagaya.
The Rhodes side scored 35 goals in the 12 matches, conceding 11 goals.The Rhodes side are scheduled to play eight more matches this season, with their next match against Vista NMMU in Port Elizabeth tomorrow.
If Rhodes continue their winning ways and finish on top of the first division log, they will then be promoted to the PEFA Premier Division.The Rhodes scores in the PEFA first division to date are:
Rhodes 4 – Hearts 1; Rhodes 3 – St Georges 0; Rhodes 2 – PE Homerovers 1; Rhodes 3 – PE Defence 0; Rhodes 4 – Forresters 3; Rhodes 3 – Motherwell Academy 3; Rhodes 1 – Westpark Rangers 0; Rhodes 4 – Young Chiefs 1; Rhodes 3 – PE City 0; Rhodes 2 – NMMU 1; Rhodes 3 – Hearts 0; Rhodes 3 – St Georges 1.
