Alexandra’s Top Dogz are finally on top
LRC coach Bandile Thindleni sounds a warning to rivals next season to watch out for his U21 boys as they will set the grounds aflame.
After many years of trial and error, Gomtown Boyz FC, popularly known as the Top Dogz to their avid followers, is finally ‘not inside but on top’.
The side was crowned champions of the Alexandra Northrand Local Football Association (ANLFA) Promotional League without kicking a ball on July 23 when its nearest rival Amajananda FC was booted out of contention when it lost 3-2 to Stamina FC earlier on the same day at the Alexandra Stadium.
If Amajananda had won this second-last game of the league and in the hope that their rivals were beaten in the late afternoon game, they would have closed a five-point lead enjoyed by the Top Dogz and taken the league down to the wire on the final games coming up on the weekend of August 5 and 6.
This weekend is reserved for the finals of the Maimane Alfred Phiri (Map) Games finals and hence the LFA will not be in action as it wants to avoid unnecessary competition with one of the township’s most successful legends of the beautiful game.
When the Top Dogz turn came to play their game, they were given a guard of honour as they had annexed the league without even kicking a ball on the day. Instead, they turned their game against a stubborn LRC side into an exhibition match filled with showboating stunts, especially with their keeper Xolani Manka.
LRC was the first one to register its name on the scoreboard when one of its forwards netted a simple goal with Manka, who was already drunk with the excitement of being champions, was caught off guard.
But the excitement of the LRC immediately wanted to show who’s boss. They fumbled a simple goal straight from the centre line and the LRC survived those few seconds, but the Top Dogz equalised a few seconds later.
A few minutes later, the champions netted another goal through a penalty to lead 2-1 in the first stanza of the game. Soon after resumption, Manka was again caught off guard with his showboating antics, and the same LRC forward who scored the opener stole the ball from the keeper and put it into the back of the net for a two-all scoreline.
LRC was awarded a penalty soon after and again led the champions 3-2 but the Top Dogz’ earlier penalty taker registered his brace to level the score 3-3. He almost added a fourth goal but shot straight into the hands of the keeper. In the dying minutes of the game, the champions made a fourth goal to seal the game 4-3.
LRC coach Bandile Thindleni sounded a warning for the next season, saying the U21 boys he had fielded in this game will be a force to be reckoned with. “I want this in black and white so that when we prevail in the next season, they don’t say I never warned them.”
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