Mkhulu Mashau
Norkem Rangers made a surprise but understandable exit from the prestigious Clinix Stix Morewa Soccer Challenge after suffering a 3-1 defeat against Premier Impala at the Nike Football Training Centre in Pimville, Soweto at the weekend.
Rangers were without five players who were injured while on duty for the Ekurhuleni team.
The absence of the team’s pillars of strength, such as Mvuyo “Mistro” Methula, Sfiso “Fiza” Mthibi, Tshepo “Messi” Moshito, Samuel “Fire” Mohloa and Lebo “Madala” Sereena, put paid to the team’s ambitions to make it a double.
Rangers’ manager Lee Mothiba said: “We had to get replacements from our Under-17s to make a team.”
The youngsters were jittery, due to playing in a major tournament for the first time. It was not to be Rangers’ day, who had hoped to win their second major cup since joining the Soweto Football Association (SFA) last season.
Although Rangers tried hard, Premier countered most of their attacking moves, making it difficult for the visitors to penetrate the water-tight defence of Mduduzi Msibi, Welile Fete and Nhlanhla Buthelezi.
It did not take long for Premier’s Fezile Bomoyi to break the ice in the 20th minute, giving his side an early lead.
But Rangers quickly equalised through Khotso “Zidane” Ramasodi.
Premier went ahead when Tshepo Maleka scored from the penalty spot. Xolani Msibi completed Premier’s task for the day with a beautiful goal.
A happy Premier’s coach Nkosana Khethema said: “We are now going all the way to the final.”
Two other games at the same venue were decided on penalties after there was no score at the end of the official 90 minutes. Soweto SAPS beat Pimville Cameroon 9-8 while White City Spurs knocked out a brave Dlamini X1 Experience 3-2, also on penalties.
The Cameroon-SAPS match could have gone either way. Cameroon’s goalkeeper Thulani Hadebe cost his team a place in the next round of the annual event. Hadebe had enough time to read the intentions of the opponents’ penalty takers.
Yanga Football Club from Freedom Park made heavy weather of Lenasia Spurs when they narrowly beat them 2-1 to proceed to the next round.
results
Meadowlands Liverpool 1 Sabelo Super Stars 0, Wanderers Boys 3 Sea Robbers 0, Freedom Park Brothers 3 Ratanang 1, Kliptown Youth Program 3 The Boys 2, Mofolo Liverpool 3 Logos 2, Kopanang Bakwena 6 Siyaya 2, Mike Stars 2 Motswako 0