Black Aces are through to the semifinals of the Nedbank Cup after a resounding 2-0 win over fellow National First Division outfit Nathi Lions at the Atlantic Stadium in Witbank on Saturday. Jacob Machaka netted in the 25th minute and Visiwe Masonda sealed victory for Aces two minutes before half-time with a well-placed effort from the edge of the area.
SuperSport United remained on top of the Premier Soccer League table after a hard-fought 1-0 win against Orlando Pirates at the Johannesburg Stadium on Saturday night. Elias Pelembe scored in the second minute to keep United in the hunt for a first league title. They now have 47 points from 25 games.
A solitary goal by Clive Moyo-Modise gave Wits a jump from seventh to fourth place on the Absa Premiership table as they beat Free State Stars 1-0 at the Bidvest Stadium on Wednesday night. Wits leapfrogged Stars, Golden Arrows and Orlando Pirates into the top-five slot.
At one stage they were Absa Premiership title contenders, but now all seventh-placed Wits are playing for is a place in the top half of the competition. And that will rest heavily on their minds when they take on sixth-placed Free State Stars at the Bidvest Stadium on Wednesday night.
Kaizer Chiefs moved into the top half of the Absa Premiership table after walloping Moroka Swallows 3-1 in a league match at a packed Olympia Park Stadium in Rustenburg on Sunday. Mabhuti Khenyeza, Jonathan Quartey and Thuso Phala scored for Chiefs, while Swallows’ lone goal came from the boot of James Chamanga.
In February this year Santos beat Moroka Swallows 4-1 in an Absa Premiership league game, and on Friday night the Cape side transformed their fine league form in to an emphatic 3-1 Nedbank Cup tournament win against the same opponents at the Germiston Stadium on Friday night.
Just before kick-off on Sunday at the Seisa Ramabodu Stadium, Bloemfontein Celtic supporters shouted at Santos substitute players to move off their team’s bench, and they obeyed. After the Premier Soccer League game — in which Celtic lost 1-0 to Santos despite a spirited showing — angry Celtic fans had to be closely watched by police.
Moroka Swallows coach Ian Gorowa says his team will not take their Nedbank Cup last-32 clash against National First Division side the African Warriors lightly. The two clubs meet on Wednesday after their game was postponed due to rain on Saturday. ”We’re definitely not going to take this game easy,” Gorowa said.
A win for the Black Leopards on Wednesday will not get them out of the relegation zone and victory for Mamelodi Sundowns will not take them in to the top half of the Absa Premiership table. That is what both teams want and obviously won’t get. However, victory will take them closer to their destinations.
A pedestrian Bafana Bafana outfit needed an own goal to beat Zimbabwe 2-1 in a friendly international match at the Germiston Stadium on Tuesday evening. Gilbert Mushangazhike struck first for the visitors in the 12th minute. Sthembiso Ngcobo equalised in the 73rd minute and his feeble shot at goal deflected off James Matola late in extra time to give the hosts an unforeseen victory.