ANDREW MUCHINERIPI, Durban | Wednesday 7.00am.
Manning Rangers …. (0) 0
Free State Stars … (1) 1 (Tsiu 45)
SO there is room in South African soccer for fairytales after all as Free State Stars reached the Rothmans Cup final on Tuesday night against all the odds.
Few gave the QwaQwa-based club much hope after being held 1-1 at home in the first leg last Saturday, but a goal on the stroke of half-time from Philemon Tsiu proved decisive.
Stars now advance to face hot favourites Sundowns in the final at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium near Rustenburg on Saturday afternoon with a 1,1 million rand cheque awaiting the winners.
It is the richest domestic prize in African soccer and while success for Sundowns seems almost inevitable, dare one dismiss Stars in a competition renowned for the unbelievable.
Star-less Stars were more organised in the first half of a return match devoid of goalmouth incident until the 45th minute when Thato Mokoena set up Tsiu for what proved the crucial goal.
Rangers abandoned their often cautionary approach in the second half and atacked relentlessly without breaching a disciplined Stars defence backed by goalkeeper Mathews Sethelo.
This will be the first Rothmans Cup final appearance by unfashionable Stars, who won the now defunct Coca-Cola Cup and reached the Bob Save Super Bowl decider five years ago.
And who will deny the Eastern Free State outfit a chance of glory after surviving enough protests after their quarter-final triumph over Jomo Cosmos to make even those who carried placards in Seattle last week blush.