Sandringham side Royal Lions deposed from ANLFA Promotional League summit vow to come back

The Sandringham-based Royal Lions FC, which has been roaring at the summit of the Alexandra Northrand Local Football Association’s (ANLFA) Promotional League since the start of the season five months ago, has been deposed with only six matches to go.

The ‘Lion Kings’, as they are popularly known to their fans in the Jewish suburb close to Alexandra, now lies in third position with 46 points from 20 matches but is separated by an inferior goal difference with second-placed Dra FC.

The leader of the pack is now Black Poison FC, which has 51 points from 20 games and its coach Bruce Buthelezi has vowed to stick it up there until the end. “We’re not going anywhere. Now that we’re at the top, our aim now is to stick it up there until the end of the season,” he told Alex News.

But Lions coach Donavan Mahlangu thinks the other way. “We’re not pressing any panic buttons as yet as I believe this is but a temporary setback and that the team will bounce back to its rightful position,” said Mahlangu at the end of his game against Ma-Afrika FC on 12 May, which he lost 2-1.

“We just have to go back to the drawing board and map out what went wrong and make the necessary correctional measures. Six games to the end of the season is a long way and anything can happen in those six games,” said a confident Mahlangu.

Although disappointed with the loss, Mahlangu said his men had played well and deserved a draw, to say the least, a match played at the Altrek Sports Ground that Alex News believes could have been anyone’s.

Both teams had their fair share of fluffed opportunities that could have easily been converted into goals. Mpendulo Somtsai’s boot opened the scoring for Ma-Afrika in less than 20 minutes into the game to give his side a 1-0 lead.

But the never say die Lions launched a well-coordinated hut for their prey, resulting in Juma Ramadhani levelling the scoreline in the dying minutes of the first half, which meant the two teams had to settle for 1-1 scoreline as they both went in for some pep talk from their coaches.

On resumption, Tumelo Moshandiba’s powerful shot on the edge of the box almost troubled Lions goal minder Mfundi Mthethwa, who had to put his body on the line to block the shot that had a goal written all over it.

But as the action swung to the other end, Simfumene Nonqotho registered a second goal for Ma-Afrika that sealed the win for his side and ensured they collected maximum points to lift them to 29 points from 20 games.

Just before the referee blew for full time, Thando Dube could have leveled the scores had he lifted his head up to see the goals before thundering a shot that went wide off the posts.

Although Ma-Afrika coach Khathu Monyae was delighted to have avenged the 3-0 first round defeat they suffered at the hands of the Lions, the win does not do his side much good as they do not move from their seventh spot.

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