Mpumalanga Black Aces advanced to the MultiChoice Diski Challenge quarterfinals after clinching the fourth spot in Group B with 11 points.
Aces had a dream start as they won two of their first three matches, scoring three times in each of the clashes. They then failed to register a victory in their following three encounters until they won their final match to progress to the last eight.
supersport.com re-looks at the team’s seven group stage games of the tournament.
Chippa United 2-3 Black Aces
21 September - Coetzenburg Stadium in Stellenbosch, Cape Town
Aces came up against Chippa United in their first match of the Diski Challenge, where they won 3-2. Striker Darren Lurie put them ahead in the 6th minute, but Chippa equalised five minutes later through Ayanda Yake. Veteran Denis Masina restored Aces’ lead in the 15th minute before Lurie completed his brace after thirty minutes. Mzikayise Williams reduced the deficit eight minutes before the break as the match produced five goals in the first half.
Black Aces 3-3 Bidvest Wits
24 September - Nike Training Centre in Pimville, Soweto
The young AmaZayoni were involved in another thriller when they took on Bidvest Wits in match-day two. James Bell opened the scoring in the first minute with an outrageous strike from the centre line, straight from kick off. There was to be another surprise a minute later as Tshidiso Monamodi drew Wits level. The young Students took the lead in the 30th minute via Elasto Kapowezha’s goal, but Given Mashikinya equalised for Aces seven minutes later. Bell completed his brace thirteen minutes from time to put Aces ahead again. Wits were then gifted a goal as Vincent Kobola put the ball into his own net and the points were shared.
Platinum Stars 1-3 Black Aces
5 October - Olympia Park Stadium, Rustenburg
The high-scoring Aces visited Platinum Stars for their third encounter in Rustenburg. They fell behind just after fourteen minutes as Thembelani Matlawe put Stars ahead. Essau Mtsweni got the equaliser for the visitors four minutes before the break. Captain Aubrey Modiba gave Aces the lead in the 67th minute and Pilican Khumalo wrapped up the victory in the final minute of the match.
Orlando Pirates 1-0 Black Aces
11 October - Tuks Stadium, Pretoria
Aces’ impressive run was under threat when they faced a wounded Orlando Pirates, who had lost their previous clash to Wits. Boosted by the presence of senior team players Tlou Segolela, Khethokwakhe Masuku and Lehlogonolo Masalesa, the Buccaneers dominated the match and took the lead in the 39th minute through Segolela. The Aces’ youngsters proved their worth as they managed to contain their opponents from there on and were unlikely not to find an equaliser.
Black Aces 1-1 Free State Stars
12 October - Tuks Stadium, Pretoria
They took on Free State Stars the following day in the fifth round looking to bounce back. Stars, who won against Wits on the eve of the match, were the first to score as striker Sydney Masana found the back of the net in the 32nd minute. Aces had to wait until the final minutes to get a goal which came from the ever-reliable skipper Aubrey Modiba in the 87th minute and the points were shared.
Mamelodi Sundowns 3-0 Black Aces
18 October - TUT Stadium, Pretoria
Aces, who had gone two matches without a win, travelled to Mamelodi Sundowns in the sixth round. They fell behind as Tebogo Reed opened the scoring for the Brazilians in the 21st minute. The young striker completed his brace at the hour mark to extend his side’s lead. Midfielder Ntandoyenkosi Ngubane completed the rout when he netted nine minutes later. The result put Aces’ hopes for a quarterfinals spot in danger.
Black Aces 3-1 AmaZulu
25 October - Bedfordview Country Club, Gauteng
They faced bottom-placed AmaZulu in the final round, a match they had to win and also rely on the other results. Experienced Bongolethu Jayiya and striker Darren Lurie scored in the 44th and 45th minutes respectively to put Aces in the driving seat. Veteran Denis Masina netted the third goal in the 60th minute to seal the win and clinch the quarterfinals spot for the Mpumalanga side.
Group stage record: P7 W3 D2 L2 GF13 GA12 GD1 Pts11
©
No comments:
Post a Comment
drop your comment about your football hero, their fashion style, like who dresses most, who drink most ,who hang out most like going to club , who plays with woman most and so on