Tigers' Smanga Nkosi keeps menacing Itumeleng 'Lebese' Morake during the AMSL final at the Victoria Grounds in Lombardy East. Photo: Zanele Siso/Zanephoto
United Stars has been crowned champions of the U13 Alex Masters Soccer League after beating their nemesis Alex Royal Tigers 1–0 at the Victoria Grounds in Lombardy East.
Unlike previous matches between these two giants of U13 football in Alexandra, there was no animosity between the two teams.
The game was mainly dominated by Stars with their slick passing and telling runs into the box of Tigers. Early on, a free kick by Stars’ Sibusiso Masondo on the fringes of the box was ballooned over the posts.
United Stars hoist one of their stars up in the air as they celebrate their championship of the 2018 AMSL. Photo: Zanele Siso/Zanephoto
Masondo, who was a nuisance for the Tigers defenders along with Itumeleng ‘Lebese’ Morake and Sipho ‘Tso’ Vilakazi, missed yet another golden opportunity to get into the scoreboard and put his team ahead when he failed to control the ball and get a decent shot at goal.
However, Tigers’ Koketso Makwiliri thought he had put his team ahead when he blasted a shot past Stars keeper Ntiyiso Botsolo and rattled the net, only to be ruled offside and the goal disallowed.
Botsolo kept his team in the game when he made a brilliant save when a Tigers striker tried to chip the ball over him and a few minutes later, he was once again called to make another save when Lethabo Chiloane unleashed a powerful strike.
It was the boot of the troublesome Morake that put Stars 1–0 up when he converted a penalty. Vilakazi’s long-range free-kick never troubled the alert Botsolo and the two teams went into the break with Stars leading by the solitary goal.
The second half was more of the same and Botsolo was again called to make crucial saves as Tigers mounted raid after raid in search of an equaliser that never came. At the final whistle, Stars were crowned champions.
Tigers owner and coach Tiger Matholengwe was full of praise for his boys for the character they showed and said they were unlucky not to score the many chances that came their way.
“We knew it was going to be a difficult and tight game but we gave it our all and we were just unlucky,” he said.
“What more can I ask for from these boys.”
United Stars celebrate their victory over Alex Royal Tigers and the championship of the 2018 AMSL. Photo: Zanele Siso/Zanephoto
Tiger’s counterpart at Stars, Sakhile Zulu said he knew his boys were going to get the better of Tigers. “I have kept these boys together for the past two years as they climb the divisional rungs of Alex football as a closely knit unit,” he said.
“It is our policy and belief of always keeping the boys together so that they gel very well and know each other strengths and weaknesses and are able to complement each other during play. This is what they showed today.”
The two teams are joint leaders of the U13 log of their divisional league and Stars occupy the top spot on goal difference.
