By Chris Totobela
One of the greatest derbies in local football took place on Sunday at Fiddlers Green. On show, was the Makana LFA premier league game between old rivalries Joza Callies and XI Attackers in the Joza derby that started way back more than two decades ago.
Both teams are going through a rough patch and are slowly trying to reclaim their status as one of the local football giants. Both teams started the game at a high pace, trying to gain control of proceedings early on. Joza Callies took the game to Attackers and forced them to play on a back foot but failed to use the chances they created. Attackers played too many passes that were not hurting Callies, while their opponents on the other hand played a lot of one-two’s that created some instability in the Attackers’ defence but were let down by poor decisions in the final third.
Callies finally made Attackers pay in the 38th minute of the game when their defence failed to deal with a cross from the right wing, which found Sbabalwe Khuselo unmarked and calmly passed the ball into the net. Attackers squandered a perfect opportunity to equalise when one of their frontmen narrowly shot over the crossbar just a minute before halftime.
Joza Callies could have quickly taken a three or four goals lead to halftime had they used all the chances they created. Attackers made a few changes at halftime, bringing on their lethal striker Siyabonga Mnyakama who immediately made an impact as he headed goalwards a long-range pass from the midfield, which the keeper held well, but the match officials judged it as a goal. It is still a mystery how the assistant referee made that decision judging from where he was at the time.
Mnyakama equalised for Attackers and brought his team to life again. Attackers took the lead from the restart when Sbahle Malgas’s shot was deflected to the back of the net to give his team the lead. The game seemed a bit fast for the match officials as they often missed some critical moments of the game and looked the other way to the malicious tackles that were flying all over the field. Joza Callies made changes of their own and tried to find an equaliser but Attackers defence stood firm this time.
The game was halted for over 20 minutes when XI Attackers coach Tanduxolo Faxi was shown a red card after allegedly assaulting an assistant referee. The play resumed, and both teams carried on where they left off. Attackers caught Callies on the break, and Siyabonga Mnyakama rattled the net with a powerful shot that left the keeper with no chance. Both sets of players handled themselves very well on the pitch,, and the fans nearly spoilt the game.
Both teams played good football and have young players who, with the proper guidance, will mature and become outstanding players. One cannot help but imagine the vibe had the game been played in its original venue, JD Dlepu Stadium where supporters could just walk in and watch.
