Maiden win for Letsoaka with Stars

Cape Town - Struggling Free State Stars won for the first time under new coach Serame Letsoaka as they edged an out-of-sorts Golden Arrows 1-0 at Princess Magogo Stadium on Saturday.

The only goal of the game in windy conditions in Durban came via a 26th-minute Danny Venter free-kick.

Letosaka, who took over last month, saw his side climb above Bloemfontein Celtic and Platinum Stars to 12th - four points clear of the drop zone.

Arrows, meanwhile, continue to endure a rough patch which has seen them win only once in their last eight games.

After Knox Mutizwa and Kudakwashe Mahachi had half-chances early on, Vuyani Ntanga squandered the hosts' best opening when he failed to beat Christoffer Mafoumbi one-on-one in the 19th minute.

It was a costly miss as Stars then went ahead as Venter's strong drive from a tight angle on the right found the back of the net.

Nkosi Gumede, responsible for handling the ball outside the box to concede the free-kick, should have done better with his attempt to keep the ball out.

It was mainly the visitors thereafter as Mohammed Anas was brilliantly denied by a one-handed Gumede stop after the ball was floated over from the right.

Then with less than 30 minutes to play, Moeketsi Sekola struck the crossbar with almost no-one to beat after another inviting cross from the right.

And the Bafana Bafana forward could have buried the game eight minutes from time after Sinethemba Jantie threaded him through on the right, before Nkosinathi Mthiyane made a goal-saving tackle.