Young Buffaloes 2-0 Mbabane Swallows
A GOAL in each half by Young Buffaloes’ Sandile Gamedze crushed Mbabane Swallows’ proud 100 percent SMVAF Ingwenyama Cup record to a dust of rubble in the second semi-final played at Somhlolo National Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
After losing two of the Ingwenyama Cup finals to their opponents, the army side finally got a response to book a date against Mbabane Highlanders who had added Malanti Chiefs to the tournament’s pulp with a 2-0.
Swallows had looked to make it 19 unbeaten matches in this four year old tournament which could have put them a match away from the search of a fourth consecutive title but alas they will now follow the rest of the action from the sidelines.
This will surely rate as the most excruciating seasons in which the world seemed to engulf them starting with the end to their two seasons 51 unbeaten league matches, several league defeats, failure to progress to the Total CAF Champions League Group stage and now this cup defeat.
On Sunday, Young Buffaloes went ahead towards the death of the opening half after winning a penalty which Gamedze drilled past Sandanezwe Mathabela in goal for Swallows but this was not all the woes.
As the match wobbled on, Gamedze struck again in 86th minute to complete the mini massacre which literally left the then overflowing stadium almost half full after the Swallows fans ejected themselves towards the exit points.
For the second successive weekend, the football gods had crazily turned against them and the risk of sleeping with their shoes on out of stress seemed highly probably and the reality of their first defeat in this tournament had struck from the blue like a bolt of lightning.
And for Young Buffaloes another final appearance was sweet, the side they had beaten made it sweeter and probably bagging the trophy will prove sweetest.
@NoelMunzabwa
