Black Leopards end Baroka's fairytale
Black Leopards ended Baroka FC’s fairytale run in the Nedbank Cup when they beat them 3-1 in a penalty shootout after the semifinal match finished 2-2 after 120 minutes of footballing action at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The game started at quite a rapid pace with both sides looking to assert their dominance early on. Leopards, though, seemed to have gained the upper hand and definitely had the lion’s share of possession.
The pattern of the first half quickly took shape as Leopards pressed forward in their numbers and Baroka looked to hit on the counter-attack. Still, the National First Division team, despite all their possession, were unable to create any decent chances in front of goal.
In fact, it was Baroka who had the first shot on goal in the seventh minute. Thobani Mncwango let loose with a powerful 22-yard strike, but the Leopards goalkeeper, Azwinndini Maphaha, was up to the challenge making a finger tip save to tip the ball over the crossbar.
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Mncwango was definitely the dangerman for the Leopards defence and it was he that gave Baroka the lead in the 11th minute after the referee adjudged Simphiwe Vezi to have fouled Khunadi Nkoana inside the box.
Mncwango coolly and confidently stepped up to the spot and sent the keeper the wrong way with a well-placed penalty-kick, 1-0.
Leopards nearly hit back five minutes later when Rodney Ramagalela met a cross from the left with a thunderous volley, but his 12-yard effort sailed narrowly over the crossbar.
In the 40th minute Leopards were lucky not to find themselves two goals down. Khutso Mohwatseleng drove down the left flank and beat a couple of players while making his way into the box, but his 14-yard shot just skimmed the wrong side of the crossbar.
The score at half time saw Baroka leading 1-0.
The second half saw Leopards start at a frantic pace and only the brilliance of Baroka’s goalie, Avhashoni Tshinuna, kept Leopards at bay a minute after the restart. Moses Kwena fired a 20-yard shot goalwards, but Tshinuna produced a fine save diving to his left to palm the ball away from danger.
Leopards, though, kept up the pressure and did find an equaliser in the 50th minute.
A free-kick was whipped into the box from the left and this time the Baroka keeper was to blame as he came off his goal line to collect the ball, but missed. Vincent Xakane, however, was behind him and headed the ball home, 1-1.
Thereafter, Leopards certainly controlled the flow of play, but much like in the first half they struggled to create goalscoring opportunities as the match fell into a bit of a lull.
Neither side could find the winning goal in remainder of the game and consequently the match moved into extra time.
In the 11th minute of extra time another breath-taking save by Tshinuna kept Baroka in the game. Ramagalela struck a thunderbolt from 25-yards out and for all money it looked to be heading into the top left-hand corner, but somehow Tshinuna flung himself across his goal to make an unbelievable save.
Finally, in the 20th minute of extra time Leopards persistence in attack paid off when Ramagalela latched onto a poor clearance by Baroka and headed his side in front for the first time in the match, 2-1.
Leopards’ joy, though, was short lived when Baroka hit back a minute later. Mncwango found his second goal, although he did not know much about it as a Nkoana shot deflected off him and into the back of the Leopards net, 2-2.
That is the way the match finished as we moved into the dreaded penalty shootout.
Baroka showed no composure in the shootout, missing three consecutive penalties before Raymond Monama scored the winning penalty for Leopards to send them into the final of the Nedbank Cup.
Baroka FC (1) 2 (Mncwango 11’ pen + 111’)
Black Leopards (0) 2 (Xakane 50’, Ramagalela 110’)
Leopards won 3-1 in a penalty shoot-out
Teams
Baroka: Tshinuna; Mbhele (Mothupa 103’), Shaku, Thomo, Mohwatseleng, Lanthsene, Ndlovu (Motupa 113’), Mashego, Nkoana, Baloyi (Ramatjala 87’), Mncwango
Leopards: Maphaha; Kwena, Nyirenda, Vezi, Xakane, Bobe (Maake 98’), Ngambi, Mabunda (Monama 65’), Masuku, Masanabo (Lungu 83’), Ramagalela
Penalty shootout order
Baroka: Mashego misses, Mncwango misses, Mohwatseleng misses, Ramatjala scores
Leopards: Masuku misses, Vezi scores, Ramagalela scores, Monama scores