East London’s FC Buffalo, Tornado FC and Future Tigers are proving to be the real deal in the ABC Motsepe League and all look set to challenge for the 2015-16 league champion.
The trio are currently in the top eight of the provincial league that is populated by clubs based in Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) – six of which are currently languishing at the bottom half of the table with the exception of Lion City which is sixth.
The NMB clubs, seven out of the provincial league’s 16, are in trouble because the bottom three in the relegation zone is an all-NMB affair.
But their Buffalo City Metro counterparts are flying high. At least for now.
Coming in at position three on the standings is Mdantsane-based Tornado with 13 points from six outings. Buffalo are fifth with the same points but they have an inferior goal difference, and Tigers are on 10 points in seventh place.
Buffalo and Tornado are fresh from convincing victories respectively this past weekend as the former emerged 2-1 victors at the expense of Subs, as Tornado thumped Highbury 4-1.
Their neighbour the Tigers on the other hand suffered their second defeat by losing 1-0 to log table-toppers FC Elliot.
Buffalo mentor William Mugeyi was happy with his club’s position and the six points they collected last week saying the team was “on the right track”.
“Collecting six points in our previous two matches was a step towards the right direction because it puts us in good stead to compete.”
Mugeyi praised in-form Buffalo striker Sherwin Smith who has banged in six goals so far this season, four in the league and the rest in the Nedbank Cup qualifiers.
Smith was again the hero this past weekend against Subs as he slotted in the winner.
Buffalo dominated the game and should have won with a bigger score margin had it not been for the opposition’s goalkeeper Sinethemba Poni and his reflexes.
Sensational Buffalo midfielder Mawethu Williams dictated play with his legendary ball distribution and was often everywhere on the field like a traditional football number six.
His side’s forwards, Smith and Angel Snyman, who have been heavily influential in their team’s run thus far, look set to form a brutal partnership upfront this season, but Mugeyi said they are just taking off and yet to reach their peak.
East London clubs dominance in the Motsepe League will be put to the test this week with a local derby scheduled between Tigers and Tornado on Friday night at Jan Smuts Stadium.
This EL derby, second for Tigers in just more than 10 days will be a difficult one to call with Tornado going to it with psychological advantage given their previous results but Tigers’ unpredictability a factor that cannot be ignored.
Buffalo will travel to a stubborn Matta Milan who last weekend suffered their first blemish courtesy of 12th-placed Emperors FC from Port Elizabeth.