Tembo decries Man of the Match award as Richards Bay win

Coach felt his game winner should have banked R100k prize

Neville Khoza Journalist
Thulani Gumede of Richards Bay during the Carling Knockout match between Richards Bay and Moroka Swallows at King Goodwill Zwelithini Stadiumin Durban on Sunday
Thulani Gumede of Richards Bay during the Carling Knockout match between Richards Bay and Moroka Swallows at King Goodwill Zwelithini Stadiumin Durban on Sunday
Image: Gallo Images/Darren Stewart

Richards Bay coach Kaitano Tembo has called for the scrapping of the Man of the Match voting procedure after his side progressed to the last eight of the Carling Knockout following their 2-1 victory over Moroka Swallows.

Swallows midfielder Andile Jali was named Man of the Match, but Tembo felt Yanele Mbuthuma, who scored the winning goal, should have walked away with the award.

A player voted Man of the Match walks away with R100,000, with the winner decided solely on popular vote by fans. Keagan Dolly of Kaizer Chiefs and now Jali have become two of the latest players to be voted for in spite of their sides losing.

“If I look at a player like Yanele, and he doesn't win the man of the match, I think it defeats the whole process and that needs to be changed because when you have a youngster who comes in and works hard and he doesn’t get Man of the Match [it doesn’t bode well].

“Even the goalkeeper, Philasande Manqele, made his debut, [previously] played for the Diski Challenge and he came out and put in a performance like this, but who am I?”

Goals on either side of the half by Abel Mabaso and Mbuthuma were enough to send the Natal Rich Boyz through to the next round, while Gabadinho Mhango scored for Swallows.

Swallows coach Steve Komphela had said last week during the press conference that they needed to avenge that defeat and would be disappointed that they could not achieve that.

But what disappointed Komphela more was the defending yesterday. "Looking at it from a sober perspective, there are few things that one has to make. We didn’t defend well and you will never win matches when your defence is this weak,” Komphela said.

"I thought we were weak and we never had the authority to resist balls.”

Bay put Swallows under pressure and it was not long before they opened the scoring in the 15th minute when Mabaso netted from a rebound.

Swallows came back in the second half with more energy and purpose and equalised five minutes after the interval when Mhango connected well from Bongani Sam’s cross to volley home.

But against the run of play, Bay restored their lead after the hour mark when Mbuthuma capitalised from an error by Swallows defender Kwanda Mngonyama to make it 2-1.


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