Motupa edges Wits past Arrows

The victory moved the Clever Boys into fifth place in the Absa Premiership. Gavin Hunt’s side will have a chance to move closer to league leaders Kaizer Chiefs when they play Mamelodi Sundowns at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Tuesday, and Cape Town City at Bidvest Stadium on December 20.

Referee Thando Ndzandzeka took centre stage and not necessarily for the right reasons, on a day when the heavens opened in KwaZulu-Natal, with so much rain falling on the pitch that most of the markings had been washed away by the end.

It was arguable, indeed, that this game should not have been played, and Ndzandzeka could certainly have been excused for giving Golden Arrows a penalty in the second half, judging that Deon Hotto had committed a foul inside the box, when it was hard to tell if he had or not.

Knox Mutizwa, however, blasted the spot kick wide and with that went Arrows’ chance to steal a point.

The referee did make two awful decisions in quick succession in the first half, not awarding Wits a penalty when Gift Motupa was clearly hacked down in the box, and then giving Wits a penalty when Nkosingiphile Gumede won the ball off the same player.

Motupa stepped up and put a cool finish past Gumede to give Wits a lead that was deserved, even if the circumstances in which they got the lead were not ideal.

The Wits striker had already tested Gumede with a shot before he scored, while the Arrows ‘keeper also had to be alert to push away Sameehg Doutie’s cross.

Thulani Hlatshwayo headed just wide early in the second half, and Elias Pelembe hit the bar with a free kick, but Wits held on.

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