United exceeds expectations
2008-03-27
EARLIER this month the team of Mbekweni United FC was declared the SAFA Boland SAB League champion with one match to spare, after outplaying their Stellenbosch opponents, Glen Eagles FC, and beating them 4-2. As the regional champion, Mbekweni United was entitled to represent SAFA Boland in the provincial play-offs which took place at Beaufort West on 15 and 16 March. In total there were six regional champions of the Western Cape who participated. The play-offs were played on a round robin system. The teams were grouped into two pools of three teams. Mbekweni United was grouped with Black Tigers FC from Plettenberg Bay and Real Attackers from Hermanus. The top two teams in the two streams were guaranteed promotion into the Vodacom League which is the highest league in the province. The first match of the pool involved Mbekweni United and Black Tigers. The Mbekweni team walloped their opponents by 4-0. Later in the day, Black Tigers played against Real Attackers. Again Black Tigers were beaten by 4-0. The match between Mbekweni and Attackers would be the ultimate deciding game for the group winners. Mbekweni made their intentions known by attacking their opponents from the first whistle at high pace. However, it was their opponents who drew first blood in the 20th minute of the game when United’s defense was caught off guard by the team who did not show any danger to the Paarlites. After conceding the goal, United continued exerting more pressure on their opponents. Poor finishing, and lack of composure left United trailing by 1-0 at half time. At the beginning of the second half, Mbekweni continued where they left off. They put more pressure on their opponents, attacking on every angle. After stiff resistence from the Hermanus team the efforts of United were rewarded in the last fifteen minutes when Elliot Gotyombe dribbled past the left back of their opponents and sent a very neat cross into the six yard which was met with a very powerful header by Xolisani ‘Tsietsi’ Qambela to equalise for the Paarlites. Five minutes later Xolisa Ntubuntu made it 2-1 for Mbekweni. This killed off the spirits of the team from Hermanus. The game ended 2-1 with Mbekweni getting promotion into the Vodacom League. According to Sithembele Kaba, the chairman of both Mbekweni United and Drakenstein Local Football Association, it is mission accomplished for all the teams in Drakenstein.
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