Bluebirds Ladies played one of their most entertaining football matches since being promoted to the Sasol Women’s League two seasons ago when they clobbered Zebra Force Ladies 4–1 at the Alexandra Stadium.
The Birds started the game like a house on fire and in just five minutes they had missed two clear-cut scoring opportunities, with the opener arriving in the 10th minute from a corner taken by Noxolo ‘Zongo’ Gcina and headed in by Vangile ‘Nyatama’ Mnguni.
In the 30th minute, Mnguni could have scored her brace but she slipped before she could unleash her shot with only the keeper at her mercy. The teams went into the half-time break with ‘Izintombi zikaMalvin (Malvin’s Girls) leading by a solitary goal.
In the second half, Natasha Goge failed to bury the ball which had rebounded from Zebras keeper Dinah Maso when she failed to handle a powerful shot from Zimi Xabanisa. Goge had another scoring opportunity but her grass cutter went wide of the upright by inches.
With all these missed opportunities, the Zebras capitalised in the 63rd minute when diminutive Pride Nthite, who was one of the menacing players of the Zebras, levelled the scores when she found the back of the net with her powerful shot.
Mnguni could have quickly restored the Birds’ lead soon after but fluffed the chance and it was Goge who restored that lead in the 70th minute after Maso failed to hold onto the ball.
The only caution of the game went to Maso in the 8th minute for a foul on the evergreen Gcina just outside the box. Gcina dusted herself off and her free kick was good but slightly off the mark.
Teenage sensation Tshwarelo Digauta, who came on in the 70th minute for Birds, changed the complexion of the game with a brace – in the 85th minute and one in the dying seconds of the game to become the toast of the crowd.
Her first came after a skillful solo run before squeezing in a powerful shot into the bottom corner and her second she chipped the keeper.
