Gauteng FC outguns determined Gunners
ALEXANDRA – Gauteng FC cruise to the quarterfinals of the Map Games after beating 10-man Gunners 3-0.
Gauteng FC outgunned a determined 10-man Gunners 3–0 to advance to the quarterfinals of the Maimane Alfred Phiri (Map) Games.
This was in the last 16 round of the U20 division played at the Altrec Sports Complex in the Eastbank section of Alexandra, in which Gunners’ Lukho Marken was red-carded for dangerous play early in the second half.
Fresh from a league triumph over Gauteng, the Gunners must have let that victory go to their heads and considered this match as another foregone conclusion in their favour, and was possibly the reason for their lacklustre performance in the first half.
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Gauteng were also pumped up by the arrival of their SAB League stars to bolster their team and immediately made their intentions clear as early as the 10th minute when Kgaugelo ‘Dludlu’ Matshaba received a cross in front of goals and made no mistake to put his side 1–0 up.
They outclassed Gunners in the first half and it was only their opponent’s resolute defence and in many instances the Gunners keeper that kept the score 1–0 going into the break.
On resumption, it was a different ball game altogether as the Gunners put up a brave fight in search of an equaliser.
They raided the Gauteng danger area time and time again but Gauteng keeper Tshepo Linda stood steadfast and at times barked instructions to urge on his teammates.
That seemed to work well for the boys as they went on to grab a 2–0 lead when yet another cross landed at the feet of Siyabonga Yekani who converted with a beauty of a strike.
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But the never-say-die Gunners pressed on for a goal but were often caught on the counter attack and it was Sanele Zulu who sealed the emphatic victory for Gauteng when he drilled the ball into the back of the net for the 3–0 scoreline.
Gauteng coach Sihle ‘uMapholoba’ Ngcobo was delighted with the win as his team lives another day to fight in the quarterfinals, while his Gunners counterpart, Stanley Makhubela decried the complacency of his players following the league triumph over Gauteng.
