A coach-less Amajananda strikes gold twice in Alex’s Top 8
Alexandra’s Amajananda FC is back in the Safa Johannesburg Men’s Regional League after the LFA was offered a second qualification spot.
A coach-less Amajananda FC struck gold twice to receive a golden send-off back to the Safa Johannesburg Men’s Regional League after a year-long hiatus when they were crowned champions of the Top 8 competition on August 27.
They struck the first gold after being offered a spot to return to the league after being relegated at the end of the 2021/22 season. As a second finisher in the LFA league, they have now bounced back courtesy of a second spot that Safa Joburg Region granted to the Alexandra Northrand Local Football Association over and above the automatic qualification of Gomtown Boyz FC as the winners of the league for the 2022/23 season.
The second gold was the two goals they struck in the first half to see themselves walking away with R7 000 as champions of the Top 8 while runners-up Polokwane Rovers received R3 000 for their efforts. The two losing semi-finalists each received a cash injection of R1 000, all courtesy of the chairperson of the LFA, Joe Seanego.
Over and above that, all the teams were given new soccer kits from Seanego together with his LFA executive.
Amajananda were crowned champions after beating Rovers 2–1 in a hotly contested final on August 27 at the Alexandra Stadium. There were also exhibition matches for the entertainment of football lovers involving LFA coaches of the various clubs in the township up against a referee’s side.
Rangers and LRC U13 sides and Winter Roses and Rangers U15 sides, all log leaders in their various streams and age divisions entertained the crowds with nimble feet while Mulilo Ladies and Young Leaders Academy Ladies U15 sides also had their own share of entertainment for the crowds as curtain raisers.
Amajananda scored all their goals in the first half through the boots of Thabo Madiba and Gabriel ‘Beast’ Madu, the former who latched onto a rebound when Rover’s keeper Mpho Malakwane did a ‘mabambayeke’ [catch and spill] act and the Amajananda striker grabbed the opportunity with both hands.
In the dying minutes of the first half, Amajananda’s lanky ‘Beast’, who missed three other clear-cut goals of the match, scored to send his team into a 2–0 lead when the game went into the oranges break.
An Amajananda defender kneed the ball back to his keeper Sibongiseni Khumalo inside the box who then handled it and Rovers were awarded a free kick. Rovers’ Mohau Selepe made no mistake of grabbing a consolation goal for his side, after which the referee blew for full time. Amajananda’s coach was said to be unavailable for the match.
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