The Tzaneen United team that beat Eleven Fast Tigers 3-1 at Nkowankowa stadium.
By: Refilwe Sebola
A tactically smart Tzaneen United side increased their lead in the ABC Motsepe League stream B with a hard-fought 3-1 victory over tough Eleven Fast Tigers FC at home in Nkowankowa Stadium last Saturday.
The Maruleng-based side who won their first-round game away in Moria came into the game expecting an easy home victory. However, it was not to be. The Moria-based side who are coached by an experienced mentor in Goodwill Motimele made the game very difficult for the home side, particularly in the first stanza.
They built a strong defensive unit in front of their goalkeeper and attacked through transitional play. Their plan seemed to have worked in the early minutes of the game as the home side struggled to find spaces to penetrate. They also tried taking shots from outside the big box but their efforts proved unfruitful. However, the prospective league champions did not panic. They kept passing the ball on the ground creating chances on the flanks. Their efforts were rewarded with a goal by Siyabonga Vilani who scored from a corner kick with a brilliant header that beat the Tigers goalkeeper hands down.
A minute later they got caught in transition and conceded a goal from the boot of Tigers striker Thabo Mokgalushi whose shot at goal from outside the big box was mishandled by the Tzaneen goalkeeper.
Tigers hardly celebrated their goal as an exceptionally talented “Lebapola” redeemed their lead a minute later with a goal by their captain Phuti Motebejane from another corner kick. The halftime score was 2-1 in favor of the home side. “Lebapola” came back strongly in the second half with a plan to seal the game and were rewarded with the third and final goal of the match from a free kick. The Tigers goalkeeper parried the ball into the path of Dumisani Mokhari who scored with a simple tap-in to seal the game.
Tigers technical team was full of praise for the Tzaneen United technical team who acted smart by changing their first-round tactics. “When they came to us in the first round they were playing long balls. This time around they played the ball on the ground. That was a smart move by the coaching team” said Tigers coach.