”Three points are three points,” philosophised Jomo Cosmos owner and coach Jomo Sono after his team’s 1-0 Premier Soccer League (PSL) win over Classic at a sun-scorched Dobsonville Stadium in Soweto on Sunday afternoon.
And Sono might have added that when the three points in question leap-frog the team three places up the log and comfortably clear of the two dreaded relegation spots, the number feels even more substantial.
The all-important winning goal in a hard-fought match came from a penalty by bulldozing Senegalese striker Mamadou Diallo and eased the tension for the recent Coca-Cola Cup winners in this key battle between teams hovering in the relegation zone.
”It was a scrappy game,” said Sono, ”possibly because the three points were so vital to both teams. But I think we had a slight edge throughout and deserved the victory.
”The boys are busy celebrating the win,” he added, ”and feeling pretty good at that.”
Sono also had a word of praise for the stadium on the outskirts of Soweto that had not been used for PSL fixtures for years.
”I’ve never seen Dobsonville in better shape,” said Sono, ”and certainly the pitch was not responsible for the scrappy play. It was simply the tension of the occasion, the heat and, perhaps, a reaction to winning the Coca-Cola Cup.”
And, as Sono aptly put it, three points are three points.
Classic, meanwhile, who spent a small fortune buying a stake for Pietermaritzburg into the PSL from the club’s Tembisa owners earlier in the season, are placed second from bottom in the log and
face the prospect of losing their investment via a swift relegation.
But the signing of former Bafana Bafana midfielder Siyabonga Siphika is an indication the club don’t intend going down without a fight.
United, Celtic share spoils
Supersport United and Bloemfontein Celtic shared the spoils with a one-goal draw in their PSL game at the Atteridgeville Super Stadium on a very hot Sunday afternoon. The teams were level on one-all at the break.
Both teams set off at a furious pace, only to slow down as the game progressed because of the hot weather. Bloemfontein Celtic striker Collins Chabalala frightened Supersport United and new Bafana Bafana assistant coach Pitso Mosimane when he scored in the fourth minute. He capitalised on a United defensive error and quickly tapped the ball into the empty net, giving Calvin Marlin no chance.
Matsatsanka aPitori regrouped well and started visiting Masokolari’s goal mouth on several occasions. Their striker Abram Raselemane equalised in the 17th minute after receiving a telling cross-pass from midfielder Katlego Mphela, beating Celtic goalkeeper Postnet Omone at the far right corner.
On the left flank, United’s Dane Klate gave Celtic defender David Madidilane a hard time, forcing Paul Dolezar to replace him with Xolani Makhoba midway through the first half.
Both coaches made changes in the second half, looking for the winning goal, which never came. Dolezar replaced Lebohang Mothibantwa with midfielder Siyabonga Nkosi, and Mosimane pulled off Sipho Mngomezulu for Zimbabwean international Joel Lupahla.
At the end, the teams shared the points. United now have 20 points with four wins, eight draws and four losses, while Celtic have three wins, seven draws and seven losses for their 16 points.
Sundowns fail to close gap
Mamelodi Sundowns failed to close the gap between themselves and Orlando Pirates at the top of the PSL when they played to a goalless draw against Free State Stars at HM Pitje Stadium in Pretoria on Sunday.
Sundowns trail Pirates by four points on the log with a game in hand, but the draw did little to help Sundowns leapfrog Pirates.
While Sundowns will have questions on how they failed to secure the three points, Free State Stars, on the other hand, will be happy with gaining an away point.
Stars were also saved from defeat by a stellar performance from birthday boy Kennedy Mweene, who kept Sundowns at bay with some good saves.
Zambian international Mweene stood between numerous Sundowns attempts at goal and was the difference between Jose Torrealba increasing his league goal tally from five to seven or eight.
Torrealba was denied in the dying moments of the first half by Mweene and again twice in the second half.
Once again, Sundowns sought to chop and change their team, which has led to their inconsistent results lately.
With volumes of possession, Sundowns players could not find each other at vital moments, which led to many enterprising attacks fading a few passes shy of the Stars net.
Much credit must go to the Stars defence, who frustrated their hosts by not wilting when the pressure was applied.
Stars, too, had opportunities to take the three points back to the Free State with them, but wayward shooting and Sundowns goalkeeper Rafael Dudamel’s frame stood in their way.
Dudamel frustrated Jimmy Kauleza, who could not find his way past the Venezuelan international goalkeeper until he was substituted midway through the second half.
Fortunately for Sundowns, Dudamel had his wits about him on the day and saved two would-be goals.
Sundowns, still with a game in hand, now have two problems to solve — how to get the winning formula back and overtake Pirates and how to fend off third-placed Kaizer Chiefs, who seem to have found their winning ways.
Arrows, Leopards goalless
Lamontville Golden Arrows and Black Leopards shared the points in a goalless draw in a Castle Premiership match played at Kings Park Stadium in Durban on Sunday afternoon.
It was a dull game with both sides raiding each other’s goal mouth but failing to find the back of the net.
At one stage the visitors should have been ahead, but Gert Liwele shot straight to Arrows goalkeeper Davies Phiri. In the 33rd minute, Dudzani Ramudzuli wasted another good chance to take home full points when his shot went wide.
Arrows’ chances were wasted by Norman Smith and Alton Meiring respectively.
Santos victorious
Cape Town team Santos beat Limpopo-based Silver Stars one-nil in a hard-fought but entertaining PSL match played at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on Sunday.
The game was poorly attended because of a jazz festival nearby that attracted many people.
Urban Warriors led one-nil at the break. Santos strike and Botswana international Dedsi Selolwane scored for the visitors in the 28th minute, beating Stars goalkeeper Wayne Sandilands.
In the second half, Owen da Gama’s charges showed they meant business, looking for an equalising goal to improve their fourth position, as they tried to catch up with Kaiser Chiefs in third place, Sundowns in second place and log leaders Orlando Pirates.
Fortunately for Santos, goalkeeper Brendell Wadle and their defence made sure that they blocked Stars’ strikers and defended their three maximum points away from home. — Sapa