KWAMASHU – It was jubilation for Wits and disillusionment for Lamontville Golden Arrows at Princess Magogo Stadium as Abafana Bes’thende succumbed to a 1-0 defeat against the Clever Boys on Saturday.
Wits finished third on the log and qualified for the Caf Confederation Cup, while Arrows missed out on the top eight.
Both teams struggled to create clear goal-scoring opportunities as they packed the midfield, which made it difficult to play as they lost possession cheaply on a consistent basis.
Wits are a team that use width to penetrate their opponents, and coach Steve Komphela did a good job in making sure that he nullified that threat.
Siyabonga Dube and Divine Lunga were resolute at fullback.
Gabadinho Mhango broke the deadlock with a stunner of a free kick to beat Maximilian Mbaeva in the 50th minute.
It was a cross that was delivered by Deon Hotto, and Mhango finished with aplomb – a goal worthy of winning any football match.
Wits started the second half on the front foot. Malawian Mhango was menacing, and Arrows didn’t find answers to all the questions he was asking.
Gavin Hunt introduced Edwin Gyimah in the place of Granwald Scott, as the plan was to keep tight in the middle of the park.
Hunt also sacrificed Lehlohonolo Majoro and put in Gift Motupa. His runs and ability to hold up play caused a lot of trouble for Arrows.
The home side pushed hard for the equaliser. Komphela added more numbers in attack when he introduced Nduduzo Sibiya, Velemseni Ndwandwe and Sibusiso Sibeko.
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/TM8?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TM8💪 #BidvestWits🔵⚪️ #AbsaPrem pic.twitter.com/iMqBdITXt1
— Bidvest Wits (@BidvestWits)
Wits created a plenty of chances to kill off the game, but failed to convert them into goals.
Sibiya made an instant impact when he came in. He set up Knox Mutizwa, who missed a glorious opportunity as he directed his attempt over the bar.
Arrows controlled the game in the last 10 minutes, but poor decision-making and execution saw them fail to get the equaliser.
@Minenhlecr7