Africa-Press – Eswatini. Lubombo-based side Madlenya shocked Moneni Pirates in the quarter-finals of the Trade Fair Cup at Mavuso Sports Centre yesterday, winning the match 6-5 on penalties.
The game started at a very low tempo.
Both teams were playing a much closed game, sitting back and showing a very cautious approach to the game.
The opening stanza had less action with less sense of urgency from both teams. Madlenya were the first to create a clear scoring opportunity but their trusted forward could not find the target after a beautiful passing game with his team just 25 minutes played.
That was a good wake-up call for the Sea Robbers who then started playing their normal game of carpet football.
In search of more attacking options, Moneni brought in Yekisizwe Khumalo for Richard Offosu in the 27th minute. Khumalo looked to be the perfect solution as he started to pull the strings in the middle off the park.
He brought the much needed spark, his side started moving forward and kept the opponent’s defensive line on toes.
They could have found the back of the net in the 30th minute but Kitwe Kazadi failed to finish a good cross from Khumalo.
Moneni took over the game, throwing all they had to their opponents who remained rock solid and protected their goalpost well. Moneni Pirates’ Phumulani Shongwe missed a clear scoring opportunity after miss calculating yet another cross from Yeki.
That was the last action of the first stanza, forcing the match to go to the breather sitting on zero-all.
It was the same the old story in the second half as Moneni Pirates came back guns blazing from the onset, forcing Madlenya to sit back, which they did perfectly.
Madlenya allowed the Sea Robbers to come at them but still failed to get one past Dumisani Dlamini in their post. Moneni were a better team for the better part of the second stanza but they were just unlucky.
The match was finally decided on penalties where Moneni Pirates’ duo of Phumulani Shongwe and Muhle Mamba missed. The William Masondeza Gamedze-led side will face Green Mamba in the semi-finals tomorrow at the same venue.
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