OWN CORRESPONDENT, QwaQwa | Sunday 6.00pm.
Free State Stars … (0) 1 (Ngaduane 65)
Manning Rangers …. (0) 1 (Kungoane 64)
IT finally happened! The first leg of the second Rothmans Cup semi-final eventually took place in cool, cloudy conditions in one of those towns where they erect traffic lights to ensure no one misses it.
After a seemingly endless round of protests, appeals and arbitration, Free State Stars achieved off the field what they had already achieved on it and Jomo Cosmos were eliminated from the competition.
But not before they had played Rangers in the semi-finals. What a farce. What a waste of money. It really is about time Rothmans stopped being so politically correct and gave the increasingly inept Premier Soccer League a tongue lashing.
At least some sense of justice prevailed at the Charles Mopeli Stadium because if Rangers had lost heavily, coach Gordon Igesund would surely have contemplated jumping blindfolded from the nearest mountain.
Assuming the Mighty Maulers win the return match at Chatsworth Stadium on Tuesday evening, is it fair that the Durban club have just three days to prepare for the biggest domestic cup tie in their history?
Of course it is not unless Sundowns are also forced to play on Tuesday night. According to the fixture list issued pre-season, the Brazilians have a Castle Premiership fixture against Classic in Tembisa on Wednesday.
So bring the fixture forward 24 hours and then (to borrow that lovely South African expression) the playing field will be level to some extent ahead of the final in Rustenburg next Saturday.
As for yesterday, a match that will not live long in the memories of the 5000 crowd sprang to life midway through the second half and then went back to sleep.
Substitute Isaac ‘Shakes’ Kungoane put Rangers ahead with a delightful lob after Bradley Muir flicked on a Fees Moloi corner and the Maulers where still celebrating when Pogisho Mokotjo found Bunene Ngaduane, who beat Grant Johnson.