Power United escaped defeat with ruffled feathers
Power United FC miraculously escaped defeat after a last-minute goal that led to a 4-4 draw against the Happy Boys Academy during their ninth match in the Greater Giyani Local Football Association (GGLFA) league played at Xikukwani Stadium recently.
Although Power United displayed quality football skills with their impeccable passes from one player to another throughout the match, the boys from Academy countered with aggressive marking and fast performance. Their game plan was clear, “once you get the ball, send it to the front as soon as you can”. This strategy proved to be successful against Power United which for the most part appeared lazy despite being skilled at handling the ball.
This could have cost them a match; however, they were lucky to have been given a penalty just one or two minutes before the referee blew the whistle to signal the end of the match. The penalty helped them claw back from trailing behind 4-3 in the second half of the match to a 4-4 draw. Happy Boys Academy currently holds the fifth position in the league with 16 points out of eight matches.
Also read: Happy Boys may still win the league
Power United on the other hand is currently in eleventh place with only three points out of eight matches. Commenting on Saturday’s match, Power United’s coach Joseph Thonsi attributed the poor performance of his team to playing much younger players than required. “We have a few players that are only ten years old. I believe that U13 is the place where you groom your players.
“Once they reach U15, we expect results as it is the crucial age where a player can get noticed by professional teams that play at PSL level,” he said. Happy Boys Academy’s coach, Fundhi Nkuna, welcomed his team’s performance saying they did well under the circumstances. “We arrived late, and the boys were sent straight onto the field without a warm-up,” he explained.
