Black Mask is the fall guy as it trips with mask-on
Loyo Stars and Black Mask both wasted good scoring opportunities though the former had greater chances.
A solitary goal from a brilliant header by Jacob Adutmum was all it took for Loyo Stars to trip and dent Black Mask FC’s championship ambitions.
The Mask outfit became the first victim of a slip-up at a critical time as the race to the finish line of the Alexandra Northrand Local Football Association’s (ANLFA) Promotional League heats up.
This came just after this publication had interviewed the top six teams of the ANLFA Promotional League about the need to be vigilant to avoid any form of lapse in concentration in the next four or so games left in their final sprint.
But the protection from the ‘Mask’ failed the new jockey at the league’s summit to fall in this match but remain in the top spot. The fall was inflicted by pretenders to the throne, Ward 107-based Loyo, at the league match played at the Alexandra Stadium on May 18.
But Mask players and its technical staff can console themselves in that their nearest one-point rivals, United Stars had a bye as they were supposed to lock horns with Stamina FC, a side that has since been kicked out of the league for failing to honour more than three of its league matches.
Although the status quo remains for the Mask on the summit with 52 points to 51 of United Stars, the Loyo win enabled them to leapfrog AmaSkills into third spot with 50 points, Amaskills are now in fourth position with 49 points.
The status quo remains for Alex Royal Tigers SC with 45 points and Gauteng FC with 42. Both sides did not play last weekend of May 18.
Adutmum’s first-half header came after numerous attempts at goals by his team which knew what they were supposed to do on the day – win – though most of their efforts went to waste.
The biggest culprits of the day in wasted chances were Kagiyo Mbesuma and his brother Collins JR. Kagiyo hesitated when he should have fired a salvo the first time but by the time he did, the Mask defender had a better chance to block it and he did just that.
Kagiyo also had two lame strikes directly to the Mask keeper, Surprise Singo who made easy saves while another bicycle attempt went wide of goals and Mask survived to see another minute of the game.
Mask had their fair chances too, with Rabby Nsaka, Lwandile Thusi and Sifiso Kheswa all missing clear-cut goal opportunities. But the Mask hero was Chukwu-Ebuka Ezekoye who cleared the ball off the line which could have been a second goal for Loyo.
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