Rangers plays spoiler as it derails Black Poison’s promotional train

Rangers played the spoiler card when it derailed the promotional hopes of Black Poison by punching holes in their ambitions with a 3–2 victory.

In one of the most thrilling games this season of the Alexandra Northrand Local Football Association (ANLFA) Promotional League, both teams played their hearts out in front of a handful of noisy spectators who enjoyed every minute of it at the Alexandra Stadium.

It was more than just a crucial game for both sides as the championship race draws to a close with only one game to go, but it was also a game that has two of the most potent strikers in the ANLFA Promotional League and both were eager to get one up on their rival.

The contenders for the Golden Boot Award are Paul Maluleke of Rangers and Nkosingiphile Nzimande of Black Poison who have been topping the league summit since the dethrone of Royal Lions a month ago.

Poison came into this game leading the pack with 61 points from 24 games while league contenders Dra FC had 59 points from 24 games. Dra won their game, which was being played simultaneously, 3–1 against Akeric Football Institution.

The Dra win means they now top the log with 62 points with a game to go, which incidentally is against Poison this coming weekend and will decide which of the two teams will be promoted to the SAB League when that league kicks off later in the year.

In the Rangers/Poison game, Maluleke opened the scoring for his side with a penalty after a Poison player handled the ball in the box.

Immediately after, a penalty was awarded to Poison and Maluleke’s rival, Nzimande stepped up to take it and made no mistake in rattling the back of the net. The next golden opportunity fell to Poison’s Thapelo Ramaila who made a hash of it with the teams going into the break at 1–1.

On resumption, Poison skipper Sifundo Mthembu misdirected his header which went over the crossbar while his colleague, Sanele Ndaba’s beautiful goal-bound cross was punched over the crossbar by the keeper.

Maluleke got his brace of the game when his coach-turned player Musa Hlombe fed him a long-range pass from the middle of the park and Maluleke made no mistake and sent the handful of spectators into rapture.

Nzimande immediately replied to Maluleke’s goal to level the score at 2–2 but the final nail in the coffin of Poison came in the dying minutes of the game through Itumeleng Molepo’s boot.

Nzimande could have levelled matters soon after he broke loose from his markers and had a one-on-one with the advancing keeper but blasted the ball past the post.

A disappointed Poison coach Wiseman Nkabini said his team was still in the running for promotion if they could get past Dra in the final game. “Our next game is a must win and I am confident we can win it. I have the material to do that, it’s just that today wasn’t our day,” he said.

Hlombe said he was happy with the win. “I always don the jersey to help my players when the going gets tough. I did it a few weeks back and set up two goals and today I have done it again,” he added.

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