All three local teams playing in the Cacadu soccer league won their opening matches of the year over the f.
All three local teams playing in the Cacadu soccer league won their opening matches of the year over the f.
The South African Football Association Cacadu SAB league restarted this weekend, after the Festive Season break, with the three local sides, New Town City, City Pirates and Makana Rhini United (Maru) in action.
Maru, playing against Golden Chiefs in Alexandria on Saturday, won their game 3-1. City Pirates beat Friendly City 3-2, also on Saturday, while New Town City beat Mighty Forest 3-2 at Fiddlers Green on Sunday.
For Maru, Simphiwe Mrhalaza opened the scoring for his side, taking the 1-0 lead into the half-time break. Shortly after the start of the second half, Leletu Mini scored Maru's second goal. Mrhalaza sealed the game for Maru late in the second half, scoring his second and the third for Maru.
However, a lack of concentration by the Maru players saw Golden Chiefs score a consolation goal from a free kick in the dying moments of the game.
Jeff Budaza of the Maru management team, said the side looked positive after the holiday break, adding that this coming weekend sees the team playing against last season's Cacadu stream winners, All Stars.
However, Budaza said that with their win over the weekend, Maru have jumped from sixth to third, with All Stars in fifth place. Budaza said another positive for the side is the fact that most of their remaining games will be played in Grahamstown.
City Pirates jumped from 10th (last) spot on the log to eighth after their win over the weekend. Thabo Rafa scored the first goal of the game, before Friendly City equalised, taking the half-time score to 1-1. Rafa scored again early in the second half, before Luzuko scored the final goal of the game.
City Pirates coach, Thobela Dayile, said the match was balanced, adding that it was noticeable that his players had come off a long break, many showing fatigue during the game. This was the first win for City Pirates and Dayile said things are looking positive for his side.
Back at home, New Town City hosted Mighty Forest. Mzwabantu Mabhoza scored all three of his side's goals, the first in the opening ten minutes of play. Forest equalised later in the half, with the half-time score 1-1.
Mabhoza scored his second goal from a free kick in the second half, and then his third later in the half, making the score 3-1.
Forest scored their second in the final minutes of play. Caretaker coach of New Town City, Thandazile Madinda, said his side played very well. Madinda said the team played “according to instructions, which was important,” adding that they did not play for themselves, but for the team.
Madinda said the team seemed to be lacking confidence in their first four games, of which they lost three and drew one. However, with Sunday's win, Madinda believes the side have found the confidence which he believes will help them perform better in the remaining games of the league.
The Cacadu league is currently in the second round, with first round matches played in the latter months of 2013. However, due to bad weather a number of the first round matches were postponed. These games will be slotted in later in the second round fixtures.
