By Lwazi Dlamini
(At Mavuso Sports Centre)
Soccer heavyweights and bitter rivals, Mbabane Swallows and Highlanders kept a 5 000 strong crowd captive for 90 minutes before settling for a 1-all draw at Mavuso Sports Centre on Sunday afternoon.
The country’s biggest single fixture had to be delayed for 15 minutes as fans milled outside, still buying tickets as the clock hit the 3:00 pm kickoff time. By the time referee, Thulani Sibandze, who had a fantastic game, declared the contest on, the modest venue was filled to the brim.
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Swallows who started the game like a house on fire dominated the match with Leon ‘Schuster’ Manyisa outfoxing his Highlanders counterpart, Banele ‘Stiga’ Ndzabandzaba in the belly of the park. The impressive Kwakhe Thwala saw his swerving free kick in the 15th minute brilliantly saved by the ever-alert Highlanders’ goalkeeper Khanyakwezwe Shabalala, who had an outstanding match.
Shabalala, however, could do nothing to stop lanky striker Sandile Hlatshwako from heading home a cross from Ayanda Gadlela from the right flank in the 23rd minute. Felix Badenhorst, the league’s leading goal-scorer thought he had found his 21st goal of the season ten minutes before half-time but his glancing header from a Neliswa Dlamini cross was saved by Shabalala.
Twenty minutes into the second half, Ayanda Gadlela had an opportunity to make it 2-0 after chest-strapping a Neliswa Dlamini cross but despite being unmarked inside the box his rasping shot was brilliantly saved by the agile Shabalala in Highlanders’ last line of defence.
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Then 15 minutes before full-time Highlanders equalized. Newman Philiso tacked from behind the on-rushing Kenneth Moloto inside the box, leaving referee Thulani Sibandze with no option but to award a penalty.
Philani Mkhonto, who had been shockingly left out of the starting lineup, stepped up to send goalkeeper Sandanezwe Mathabela in the wrong direction, triggering untold scenes of jubilation from the Highlanders fans on the Northern grandstand. It was a sucker punch. The draw extinguished Swallows’; title hopes as they now trail log leaders Green Mamba by seven points with three games remaining.
