Mpumalanga’s Apollo stand at the pole position to be promoted to the National First Division next season as they currently top Group A at the national playoffs in Bloemfontein.
They played to a one-all draw with Eastern Cape’s Tornado yesterday, having won 1-0 against Orbit College of North West on Monday.
However, it is not over just yet as mathematically any of the five teams in the group can still top the group.
But one match likely to determine the direction in which this Group is going is today’s meeting between Apollo and Kings United of KwaZulu-Natal.
The two meet at the Kaizer Sebethelo Stadium in Botshabelo at 3pm this afternoon.
Kings clobbered Steenberg United by 4-3 in another match yesterday, and the two are tied on three points while Tornado have a single point with Orbit with zilch.
The pressure is now on Tornado to win their remaining two matches with a big score margin, and hope that Apollo lose one of their two remaining round-robin matches.
They collide with Orbit College, who are equally desperate for maximum points, in Botshabelo, two hours before the Kings versus Apollo meeting.
A victory for Tornado and a draw between Kings and Apollo will see the top spot of Group A up for grabs for four teams bar Orbit going into the final matches, with the Group winner likely to finish on seven points.
In the first match of the day yesterday, the East London side, Tornado, just like they did in their opener, dominated their opponents, Apollo.
They were superior, however, only when the ball was on the ground, but were bulldozed in the air by their tall opponents, who average 1.8m in height.
Tornado, although it was clear from the onset that they would lose the aerial battle, carried on playing high ball into the opposition box – all of which were cleared with ease.
For Apollo, playing high balls into the opponent’s penalty box worked for them, although they seldom visited Tornado’s danger zone.
The Mpumalanga outfit were unlucky not to go in front within the opening 15 minutes when they had two free headers, both of which went wide.
But it was Tornado that enjoyed a superior ball possession in the early stages of the match, although their dominance subsided towards the latter stage.
Bikwani blamed this on what he calls lack of experience from his charges.
“For us it is a bunch of inexperienced boys who have never played at this level, but I am happy for them because this is a learning curve,” said Bikwani.
“We let this one slip through our fingers because we were in control just like the first one, and I must say when it is not your day it is not your day.”
But Apollo mentor, Lundi Mahobe, knew Tornado would come at them guns blazing at the opening stages of the match and the plan was to absorb the pressure and catch them “in the last 20 minutes”.
And it worked out exactly how Apollo planned as they managed to get the equaliser 15 minutes from time.
In the other match between Kings and Steenberg, much as there was an avalanche of goals, it brings into question the defensive ability of both side.
Group B, which has one less team, only start their matches today.
The Group B opener will see Morester Jeug of the Northern Cape go toe-to-toe with Magesi of Limpopo at 9am before Gauteng’s JDR Stars take on hosts Manco Milano two hours later in Botshabelo.
Only winners of the two groups stand a chance of being elevated to the second tier next season.
Tornado trip to Apollo’s clever ruse
They played to a one-all draw with Eastern Cape’s Tornado yesterday, having won 1-0 against Orbit College of North West on Monday.
However, it is not over just yet as mathematically any of the five teams in the group can still top the group.
But one match likely to determine the direction in which this Group is going is today’s meeting between Apollo and Kings United of KwaZulu-Natal.
The two meet at the Kaizer Sebethelo Stadium in Botshabelo at 3pm this afternoon.
Kings clobbered Steenberg United by 4-3 in another match yesterday, and the two are tied on three points while Tornado have a single point with Orbit with zilch.
The pressure is now on Tornado to win their remaining two matches with a big score margin, and hope that Apollo lose one of their two remaining round-robin matches.
They collide with Orbit College, who are equally desperate for maximum points, in Botshabelo, two hours before the Kings versus Apollo meeting.
A victory for Tornado and a draw between Kings and Apollo will see the top spot of Group A up for grabs for four teams bar Orbit going into the final matches, with the Group winner likely to finish on seven points.
In the first match of the day yesterday, the East London side, Tornado, just like they did in their opener, dominated their opponents, Apollo.
They were superior, however, only when the ball was on the ground, but were bulldozed in the air by their tall opponents, who average 1.8m in height.
Tornado, although it was clear from the onset that they would lose the aerial battle, carried on playing high ball into the opposition box – all of which were cleared with ease.
For Apollo, playing high balls into the opponent’s penalty box worked for them, although they seldom visited Tornado’s danger zone.
The Mpumalanga outfit were unlucky not to go in front within the opening 15 minutes when they had two free headers, both of which went wide.
But it was Tornado that enjoyed a superior ball possession in the early stages of the match, although their dominance subsided towards the latter stage.
Bikwani blamed this on what he calls lack of experience from his charges.
“For us it is a bunch of inexperienced boys who have never played at this level, but I am happy for them because this is a learning curve,” said Bikwani.
“We let this one slip through our fingers because we were in control just like the first one, and I must say when it is not your day it is not your day.”
But Apollo mentor, Lundi Mahobe, knew Tornado would come at them guns blazing at the opening stages of the match and the plan was to absorb the pressure and catch them “in the last 20 minutes”.
And it worked out exactly how Apollo planned as they managed to get the equaliser 15 minutes from time.
In the other match between Kings and Steenberg, much as there was an avalanche of goals, it brings into question the defensive ability of both side.
Group B, which has one less team, only start their matches today.
The Group B opener will see Morester Jeug of the Northern Cape go toe-to-toe with Magesi of Limpopo at 9am before Gauteng’s JDR Stars take on hosts Manco Milano two hours later in Botshabelo.
Only winners of the two groups stand a chance of being elevated to the second tier next season.
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