SAB League derby deadlocked
ALEXANDRA – The SAB League Alex derby ended in a deadlock at the Alexandra Stadium.
Gunners came from behind twice to almost snatch victory from the jaws of Malandela Mighty Heroes had it not been for the ‘spoiler’ boot of Heroes’ Chailane Letsoalo.
Letsoalo’s strike on the stroke of full time ensured the two teams settled for a 4–4 draw in the SAB League Alex derby at the Alexandra Stadium.
The game of two halves started off with both teams sizing one another up until Gunners got a break when Mighty Heroes’ skipper Zacheus Masoma scored an own goal in the 20th minute.
Masoma had attempted a stylish clearance but the ball floated over his keeper and into the back of the net. However, the goal stung Mighty Heroes into action and they equalised within two minutes through Obakeng Ramahlo.
From then on, it was all Mighty Heroes as the team famously known as the ‘Kaizer Chiefs’ of Alex kept on knocking on the door through the hard working Nkateko Pandeka.
This determination finally paid off when Thabo Mazibuko intercepted a bad clearance on the edge of the box from a Gunners defender and he made no mistake as he rattled the back of the net to make it 2–1.
Mighty Heroes continued to pile up the pressure on the Gunners and were denied what appeared to be a legitimate penalty when a Gunners defender handled the ball inside the box but referee Patrick Matambane thought otherwise.
To add insult to injury, Gunners were awarded a free kick close to the edge of the box and Macdonald Mothapo slotted it home to level matters at 2–2. Pandeka had an opportunity to put Mighty Heroes back in the lead as the teams headed for half time but this was not to be as the Gunners keeper was equal to the task.
Fifteen minutes into the second half, Masoma made amends for his own goal by slotting the ball home into the correct net to give his team a 3–2 lead.
The lead was shortlived as Gunners’ Thokozani ‘Majaqamba’ Nyathi brought back parity with a brilliant strike but immediately dropped to the ground and complained of cramps hence his nickname ‘Majaqamba’. He was treated and taken off the field only to limp back on and then latched onto a through pass to score his brace and put his team ahead 4–3 in the dying minutes of the game.
Gunners could have increased their lead through Mpho Hlophe but the crossbar saved the Mighty Heroes. Letsoalo counted this blessing and thundered a strike that left the Gunners keeper at sixes and sevens for the 4–4 result.
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