So much for the Golden Arrows coaches not having any qualifications as per South African Football (SAFA) Technical Director Walter Steenbok!
Abafana Bes’thende’s coaching duo of Mabhuti Khenyeza and Vusimusi Vilakazi may not have the requisite high technical qualifications as demanded by the country’s top technical man, but they are doing a good job for the Durban outfit so far.
Hammered 4-0 at Mamelodi Sundowns last month, they have managed an impressive turnaround to win twice thereafter – with this humiliation of a SuperSport outfit coach by a well-decorated coach in terms of not just qualifications but championship honours coming on the back of a 3-2 victory against Polokwane City.
They made the trip to the Peter Mokaba Stadium to face a Matsatsantsa a Pitori side that historically gets the better of them and with Gavin Hunt’s men looking to validate their standing as serious challengers to Sundowns’ reign as DStv Premiership champions.
Early indications were that SuperSport would saunter to the three points as they dominated the early proceedings and threatened the visitors’ goals with Terrence Dzvukamanja and Bradley Grobler enjoying great supply from Grant Margeman.
But that dominance failed to produce goals and against the run of play Arrows took the lead via a Lungelo Nguse goal via a tap in to connect a cross from the left by Nduduzo Sibiiya with the highly-experienced captain Thulani Hlatshwayo and Siyanda Xulu incredibly caught napping.
The visitors held on to their lead until the halftime break and Hunt made two changes in the hope to turn things around – the multiple championship-winning coach brining on Etiosa Ighodaro and Ime Okon for Kegan Johannes and Siyanda Xulu respectively.
It was Arrows though who scored the second less than ten minutes after the break when Angelo Van Rooi slotted home at the second attempt after his initial attempt was blocked during a brilliant break that had him receive a killer through pass from the midfield.
At 2-0 down so early on, SuperSport still had a fighting chance and they did all they could to make a contest of it, with further substitutions seeing young Shandre Campbell coming on and making a nuisance of himself with some good shots at goal, one of which landed on the roof of Isma Watenga’s goals.
But all SiuperSport could do was just threaten, and both Grobler and Ighadori had chances late on as the home side looked for the goal that never came.
Instead it was the visitors who found the net via substitute Ryan Moon in the dying minutes following an uncharacteristic defensive blunder by Matsatsantsa for a result that sees them in second spot with ten points from five matches.
Of course it is too early in the season, but the men who – according to Steenbok – ‘do not have anything’, are punching a little above their weight.
IOL Sport