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Rustenburg - Platinum Stars recovered from a poor first half where they were trailing 2-0 to claw their way into the match with four minutes left to play when they drew 2-2 with the University of Pretoria at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Bongani Zungu and Thokozani Sekotlong scored AmaTuks’ goals with fantastic long range attempts before Robert Ng’ambi and Lindokuhle Mbatha scored to give Dikwena a share of the spoils.
In the ninth minute of the match, Stars nearly conceded an embarrassing goal when Mame Niang spotted Stars keeper Siyabonga Mpontshane off his line and lobbed the ball from about 40-yards on the left side, but the ball went over the posts.
The visitors did not rest and continued to bombard the home side with long range attempts which they would take the lead from in the 14th minute.
Sekotlong held off his marker and laid the ball onto an onrushing Zungu who perfectly placed the ball into the roof of the net with his right foot from just outside the box, 1-0.
A minute later at the other end Stars should have equalised when Robert Ng’ambi fluffed a chance from six-yards out when he missed from close range with a left footed shot which went narrowly wide.
Niang tried another long range shot to test the Stars keeper in the 33rd minute, but this time the shot stopper was on his line and stopped the dipping shot which was destined for the back of the net.
Another long range attempt became fruitful for the visiting side from Pretoria in the 43rd minute.
After a Niang flick on, the ball fell into the path of Sekotlong who saw the keeper off his line and pulled a trigger with a left footed shot from 25-yards which burst into the top part of the net beyond a bamboozled Mpontshane in the Stars goals, 2-0.
With 20 minutes remaining in the match Stars should have equalised when Benson Mhlongo missed an opportunity inside the box when his shot just went just high and wide of goals with AmaTuks keeper Washington Arubi stranded.
But Stars would get their first goal in the 73rd minute when AmaTuks keeper Arubi came off his line to punch away the ball, but it landed in the path of Thuso Phala who lobbed the ball over the defence and found Ng’ambi who headed home from close beyond the keeper who was making his way back to his line, 2-1.
With four minutes left to play a quality goal from Mbatha sealed the equaliser for Stars to confirm what simply was a game of two halves.
The substitute cut inside from the left wing and beat his marker before unleashing a cracker that curled into the back of the net to make the score 2-2 in the 86th minute.
Scorers:
Platinum Stars (0) 2 (Ng’ambi 73’, Mbatha 86’)
University of Pretoria (2) 2 (Zungu 14’, Sekotlong 43’)
Teams:
Platinum Stars: Mpontshane, Mere, Gumede, Mhlongo, Ngwepe, Mathe (T Mthembu 70’), Tshabalala (Mbatha 60), Phala, Ng’ambi, Ngele (Msomi 57’), Botes
University of Pretoria: Arubi, Ngubane, Shoyisa, Bishop, Moussono-Moussono, Mkhwanazi, Ketjijere, Sekotlong (Lubelo 77’), Zungu, Ngoma (Mosadi 89’), Niang
Bongani Zungu and Thokozani Sekotlong scored AmaTuks’ goals with fantastic long range attempts before Robert Ng’ambi and Lindokuhle Mbatha scored to give Dikwena a share of the spoils.
In the ninth minute of the match, Stars nearly conceded an embarrassing goal when Mame Niang spotted Stars keeper Siyabonga Mpontshane off his line and lobbed the ball from about 40-yards on the left side, but the ball went over the posts.
The visitors did not rest and continued to bombard the home side with long range attempts which they would take the lead from in the 14th minute.
Sekotlong held off his marker and laid the ball onto an onrushing Zungu who perfectly placed the ball into the roof of the net with his right foot from just outside the box, 1-0.
A minute later at the other end Stars should have equalised when Robert Ng’ambi fluffed a chance from six-yards out when he missed from close range with a left footed shot which went narrowly wide.
Niang tried another long range shot to test the Stars keeper in the 33rd minute, but this time the shot stopper was on his line and stopped the dipping shot which was destined for the back of the net.
Another long range attempt became fruitful for the visiting side from Pretoria in the 43rd minute.
After a Niang flick on, the ball fell into the path of Sekotlong who saw the keeper off his line and pulled a trigger with a left footed shot from 25-yards which burst into the top part of the net beyond a bamboozled Mpontshane in the Stars goals, 2-0.
With 20 minutes remaining in the match Stars should have equalised when Benson Mhlongo missed an opportunity inside the box when his shot just went just high and wide of goals with AmaTuks keeper Washington Arubi stranded.
But Stars would get their first goal in the 73rd minute when AmaTuks keeper Arubi came off his line to punch away the ball, but it landed in the path of Thuso Phala who lobbed the ball over the defence and found Ng’ambi who headed home from close beyond the keeper who was making his way back to his line, 2-1.
With four minutes left to play a quality goal from Mbatha sealed the equaliser for Stars to confirm what simply was a game of two halves.
The substitute cut inside from the left wing and beat his marker before unleashing a cracker that curled into the back of the net to make the score 2-2 in the 86th minute.
Scorers:
Platinum Stars (0) 2 (Ng’ambi 73’, Mbatha 86’)
University of Pretoria (2) 2 (Zungu 14’, Sekotlong 43’)
Teams:
Platinum Stars: Mpontshane, Mere, Gumede, Mhlongo, Ngwepe, Mathe (T Mthembu 70’), Tshabalala (Mbatha 60), Phala, Ng’ambi, Ngele (Msomi 57’), Botes
University of Pretoria: Arubi, Ngubane, Shoyisa, Bishop, Moussono-Moussono, Mkhwanazi, Ketjijere, Sekotlong (Lubelo 77’), Zungu, Ngoma (Mosadi 89’), Niang
