Stellenbosch And TS Galaxy Crash Out Of Carling Knockout
Two teams who reached the Carling Knockout final last season – Stellenbosch FC and TS Galaxy – have been dumped out of this cup after losing their respective quarter-final match on Sunday.
Carling Knockout Cup champions Stellenbosch was dumped out of the competition by Marumo Gallants at Dr Molemela Stadium on Sunday.
Siyabulela Shai scored the game’s only goal in the 17th minute to see Dan Malesela’s Magesi progress to the semi-final for the first time in this competition.
It was also sweet revenge for Gallants, who had lost to the same opposition in the Betway Premiership on Thursday.
Gallants, unlike on Thursday, rose to the occasion with determination.
Stellenbosch, fresh from a grueling extra-time win over AmaZulu in the first round, started strong, pressuring Gallants’ defense in the early minutes.
However, it was Gallants who struck first, with Shai finding the net in the first half. Shai’s free header caught the Stellies’ defense off-guard, redirecting the ball past goalkeeper Sage Stephens.
Undeterred, Stellenbosch launched a series of aggressive attacks, forcing Gallants’ goalkeeper Washington Arubi into three crucial saves within 15 minutes.
As the second half progressed, Stellenbosch intensified their offensive efforts, committing more players forward in search of an equalizer. Yet, this strategy left them vulnerable, and Gallants nearly capitalized with a long-range effort that Stephens managed to tip over the bar.
Despite all their efforts, Stellenbosch could not level the score and crashed out of the Carling Knockout Cup, denying their head coach Steve Barker a record five successive semi-finals.
Magesi, under coach Clinton Larsen who won this cup in the 2012/13 season with Bloemfontein Celtic, beat losing finalists Galaxy 1-0 at Mbombela Stadium on Sunday.
Lehlohonolo Mokone was quick to reach for Magesi by scoring in the 44th minute after Galaxy was unable to clear the ball inside the box after following a ping pong.
Despite the odds, Galaxy demonstrated surprising vigor, controlling possession and mounting more attacks. However, their defensive frailties proved costly when Magesi scored following a double deflection, with Mokone pouncing on the loose ball to fire it past the Galaxy keeper.
This solitary goal was enough to propel Magesi into the semi-finals, exacerbating the woes of TS Galaxy, who remain at the bottom of the league table with just one point from five matches.
Galaxy coach Sead Ramovic faces a critical juncture, and the response of chairman Tim Sukazi to the team’s struggles will be closely watched as the season progresses.
