Saturday evening at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in the DStv Premiership, Stellenbosch FC and Sekhukhune United played to a 1-1 tie, extending Sekhukhune United’s losing record to four matches.
Early in the contest, both Sekhukhune and Stellenbosch failed to establish passing patterns, leaving nothing to choose between them. As the dust settled around the ten-minute mark, the visitors appeared to be more comfortable with the ball.
15 minutes into the match, Sekhukhune made his way into the Stellenbosch penalty area and forced goalie Sage Stephens to make a save that he nearly bungled but quickly recovered from.
Midway through the first half, it was Sekhukhune’s turn to see more of the ball, and he adapted by putting together numerous passes. Stellenbosch’s only option in response to Sekhukhune’s possession play was to attack the host team on the break.
Steve Barker’s side entered the Sekhukhune penalty area after a quick buildup in the rear in the 20th minute, creating Stellenbosch’s first serious opportunity of the match. The Western Cape squad was unable to complete the relocation.
The away team adopted a high-pressing strategy for much of the first half to disrupt Sekhukhune’s buildup play. Stellenbosch frequently won possession of the ball in the midfield, but rarely threatened the Babina Noko goal.
Sekhukhune scored the game-winning goal in the 36th minute on a breakaway after collecting a loose ball near the center circle. As Vusimuzi Mncube and Tshegofatso Mabasa led the attack, the No. 9 for Sekhukhune was able to send the ball in the back of the net after a melee in the penalty area.
Both teams were able to produce multiple scoring opportunities as the half came to a close, but Babina Noko held the advantage going into halftime.
Sinethemba Mngomezulu’s magnificent individual effort inside the Sekhukhune penalty area brought Stellenbosch level inside 10 minutes of the second half. Mngomezulu cut inside from the wide area after receiving a pass from Mendieta and then curled the ball beyond the Babina Noko goalie.
The score gave the visitors a boost, and around the hour mark they began to dominate the ball possession statistic. Sekhukhune failed to gain a foothold in the game and remained on the defensive for extended stretches.
Babina Noko stayed optimistic after conceding and attacked Stellies whenever the opportunity arose. With 15 minutes remaining, the home team created many clear scoring opportunities, but Stellenbosch maintained defensive calmness.
In the 84th minute, Sekhukhune had perhaps their greatest opportunity to take the lead when Linda Mntambo found himself one-on-one with the Stellenbosch goalie on the outskirts of the penalty area. However, the captain of the club botched his lines.
Despite Sekhukhune’s late effort, the game at Peter Mokaba Stadium finished in a 1-1 tie