Sweet revenge was the order of the day. This is because Obaba won 2-1 in a thrilling match at Bonamelo Ground on July 16, 2023.
Obaba Babo walked away with a win against Protea Glen Extensions 4 Masters side. This was sweet revenge against a side that knocked us out a fortnight ago in a tournament. A taste of their medicine was the order of the day, as the scoreline is also the same that we suffered against them.
Bhekinkosi Thandeka forced an own goal from the visitors in the first 10 minutes. This is the same time that he scored his goal against Abangani Masters, seven days ago.
Thamae Mbazo Matee was a forced substitution just before the 20-minute mark. This is after a technical substitution was made for Nathi Nathi-Rocks Ngubeni. Tshepo Nengo Lebelo came in for Nathi, with Bongani Papa Shelembe coming in for Mbazo, respectively.
Today’s team saw 10 new faces from our previous match, which we lost 5-1, with the starting lineup boasting seven new faces. Fringe players were the order of the day. Just to name a few…
Mduduzi Bra-Mdu Masiba crept into the starting lineup after featuring in it over 112 days ago. This was against Tinyiko Masters. A match that we lost 2-0 on the day.
Sizwe Barnes Buthelezi slotted nicely in the back four. His last start for the side was in a 6-1 win against Mahenyahenya Football Club on May 6, 2023.
Mduduzi Ta-Mdu Sithebe was an inclusion in the trusted 11 on the left wing. He last tasted the starting lineup on February 26, 2023, in a loss against the Meadowlands Academy Masters.
Nathi is another one who bagged himself the first eleven. But again, like against Diepkloof All Stars, he was substituted in the first 15 minutes of the first half. This was a technical sub.
Obaba came hard on the opponents but made sure that they closed at the back. This was to prevent last week’s incident, which saw us score in the early minutes and end up losing 5-1 on the day.
We went to halftime 1-0 up. Only two substitutions were made to our attack; we needed more goals. The best way to defend is to attack. The most notable substitution was that of Siphiwe Shoes Nkosi, who came in for Mduduzi Masiba. His second overall league start this season
Shoes showed that he was not only hungry for game time but also for goals. Evidently, he scored in just 2 minutes of his introduction.
The technical Team wanted to pin the opponents in the half, hence the introduction of Mduduzi DeMdoo Ndlela in the 60 minutes. Which was his sixth appearance of the season.
Win is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. This is because Obaba put in vigorous efforts in yesterday’s training. In the same breath, we might conclude that our fringe players really raised their hands when given a chance. A breath of fresh air..?
Obaba Babo
