Alex’s Bluebirds Ladies in a miserable start to the 2018 Sasol Women’s League

A new look Bluebirds Ladies had a miserable opening game of the Sasol Women’s League 2018 season when they were outclassed at home by an experienced Vaal University of Technology (VUT) Ladies side 2–1.

Without their more experienced and seasoned regulars who have all departed for greener pastures, Birds coach Malvin Khumalo said just before kick-off he had to string a team together by promoting some promising youngsters from their junior ranks.

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But after watching the game at the Alexandra Stadium, one can safely say they did not disappoint as they stood their ground against their more experienced opponents. Bluebirds’ experienced Lerato Makhanya had a decent strike as early as the 5th minute of the game when she collected a pass from Ester Moila but it was well saved by the Vaal keeper.

But the lack of experience was evident when Moila dribbled past all the defenders and the keeper but failed to direct her tap-in into the goal.

Birds were punished for these misses when Vaal’s Thandiwe Msibi scored the opening goal of the match from a goalmouth scramble to give her team a 1–0 lead. Soon after, Birds’ prolific midfielder-cum striker Meisie Stewart should have equalised but her shot was directed straight at the keeper.

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But a determined Birds was not to be denied and Zimi Xabanisa scored the equaliser from a long-range strike that had all the trademarks of a thunderbolt from Mamelodi Sundowns skipper Hlompho Kekana.

The two teams went into halftime deadlocked at 1–1 but the Birds came back with a bang in the second in search of a possible winner. They neatly passed the ball around with the likes of Makhanya, Stewart, Moila and Xabanisa all in the thick of things but could not find that elusive opening in the solid Vaal wall of defence.

But this was in vain and with 15 minutes left before the referee’s final whistle, Vaal again found the back of the net and this proved to be the winner.

Vaal coach Lebamang Mshengu described the win by her girls as a ‘smash-and-grab’ as they smashed Birds and grabbed the vital three points in their opening match. “I am happy to have collected the vital three points at the beginning of the season with a squad that is still a work-in-progress,” she said.

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“I am still trying the various combinations to see which one works before we go deeper into the season.”

Khumalo said the match gave them a window into the kind of work they needed to do to fast-track the cohesion of the team. “It was only an opening game of the league though that game was there for the taking with my junior squad. I only hope the loss did not break their confidence as they did so well beyond my own expectations,” he added.

“They could have easily won that match had they converted all the chances they had which were far more than those of our experienced opponents. We hope we can build a formidable team from these players on the way forward.”.

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