By Chris Totobela
It was a big weekend for Makhanda football as Makana LFA Premier League stream winners XI Attackers and Sophia Stars faced each other in a title decider on Saturday.
Football fans came in droves to witness this much anticipated two-legged clash that had all the ingredients of a great encounter, for the league title and automatic promotion to the Hollywood Bets Regional League.
The game started at a blistering pace with both teams showing their intentions as early as the first whistle. Both teams looked very comfortable on the ball but Sophia had a slight edge in the battle of midfield as they sprayed some good passes around the field, although they seemed to be overwhelmed by the occasion at times.
Sophia took the lead in the eighth minute when their midfield general Olwethu Songelwa finished off a cross cum shot from the right wing, finding the far corner, with the keeper well beaten. Sophia tightened the screws in midfield and put Attackers under enormous pressure, forcing them to defend most of the time as they struggled with Sophia’s pace.
However, Attackers showed some glimpses of good football despite playing on the back foot for the better part of the game and nearly caught the youthful Sophia side on transition on numerous occasions.
‘Ezimnyama ngenkani’, as Attackers are affectionately known, drew level in the 23rd minute when a well taken free kick by their goalkeeper was headed home by Siviwe Mandevu, with Sophia’s defence and the goalkeeper all caught ball watching. The equaliser revitalized Attackers as they started taking the game to their opponents, and it was no surprise when they took the lead in the 30th minute with another header from Lubabalo “Spanky” Ntsokota, who came from the blind side to punish Sophia’s defence after another well taken set piece by their goalkeeper.
Sophia seemed rattled by the two quick goals and also struggled to deal with aerial balls pumped into their box but managed to hold on until the halftime break.
In the second half, Sophia Stars went on the attack, searching for the equaliser. But they fumbled in the last third of the field. Attackers absorbed the pressure and tried to catch their opponents on transition, until the final whistle, taking their advantage to the second leg on Sunday.
Trailing by one goal, Sophia took the game to Attackers in the second leg. Playing too deep, Attackers left a vacuum in the middle of the park, allowing Sophia’s midfielders to dictate terms. However, it was Attackers who nearly drew first blood when they caught Sophia in a quick transition phase in the 12th minute and broke free on the right wing. But Siyabonga Mnyakama failed to tap the ball home after a perfect cross from the right, narrowly shooting wide.
The missed chance spurred Sophia into action as they pushed their opponents even more. Sophia opened the scoring in the 21st minute when Lithango Mankayi caught Attackers’ defence napping and steered the ball home to give his side the lead that they took to the halftime break.
In the second half, Sophia started where they had left off and put Attackers under pressure but could not make use of the chances they created. Attackers continued to sit back and absorb the pressure waiting to pounce on transition. Sophia were dealt a huge blow when one of their pacey wingers was sent off after receiving two cautions. The team was forced to play the last 20 minutes of the game with a man down.
Attackers failed to capitilise on their numerical advantage and instead played out the remainder of the game. Attackers’ goal minder Anele Hashe came up with a superb save when Lithango Mankayi broke free and only had the keeper to beat, but Hashe’s reflexes and agility kept his team in the game with a one-handed save, parrying the ball to safety.
The game ended 2-2 on aggregate and the winner was decided in a penalty shootout. Anele Hashe made two brilliant saves, ensuring a 6-5 penalty win for Attackers.
Attackers were crowned champions and their coach Thanduxolo “Mthakathi wezindaba” Faxi was over the moon. “My boys played so well, we knew what they were going to bring and we planned well against them. We played against players that we do not even know in our league as there was no proper registration, but we fought hard and deserved to win.”
Faxi also shared his thoughts on the upcoming task of participating in the regional league. “We are ready for the regional league and we have been preparing for it throughout this season as we have played more under 21 in most of our games. We are also going to beef up our squad with one or two players.
“Lastly, I would like to thank everyone who has been supporting us since day one of this season, thanks to the match officials as well for handling the game so well.”
His counterpart, Thulani Msipha, was disappointed with the outcome. “My boys did everything they could to win the game. We controlled both legs but Lady Luck deserted us. I’m not disappointed with our boys’ performance, but with the results. We will keep on trying.” The loss affected the players mentally, Msipha said. “Remember these boys are still young, but we will do our best to help them get through it and focus on the upcoming season. This is part of football and we will bounce back stronger.”
Makana LFA chairperson Afika Adam has thanked everyone for the great season.
“I would like to thank our executive committee, competitions and referees committees for their hard work despite facing some challenges. I would also like to thank the fans who always come and support the teams irrespective of the weather conditions and we are looking forward to next season.”
