DStv Premiership
Result: Swallows FC 0-0 Stellenbosch
Date: 18 May 2021
Venue: Dobsonville Stadium
Swallows missed the chance to move up to third in the DStv Premiership after playing to their 18th draw of the season, which is a new league record.
Free State Stars set the initial record of 17 draws in the 2005/2006 season and suffered relegation while Santos registered the same amount of draws that campaign but finished in the top eight.
The Birds were without regular shot-stopper Virgil Vries, who was replaced by goalkeeper Sanele Tshabalala in goal, with Thabo Matlaba, Given Thibedi and Fawaaz Basadien returning while Stellies recalled Phathutshedzo Nange and Leletu Skelem.
The visitors did not have a good start after they were forced into an early substitution, in the 11th minute after Nange picked up an ankle injury and he was replaced by Ibraheem Jabaar.
Brandon Truter's charges settled the quickest in the game as a result, as Kamohelo Mahlatsi had a great chance to break the deadlock in the 26th minute after going clear on goal from a counter-attack but his shot rattled the crossbar.
Stellies were getting into the game in the closing phase of the first stanza as Ashley Du Preez came close to breaking the deadlock on the stroke of half-time with a volley inside the box that produced a great save out of Tshabalala.
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Steve Barker's troops were causing Swallows all kinds of trouble coming from the break but they could not create clear-cut chances.
Swallows coach Brandon Truter made a triple change on the hour-mark, bringing on Ruzaigh Gamildien, Kgaogelo Sekgota and Zaphaniah Mbokoma for Kamohelo Mahlatsi, Kagiso Malinga and Basadien for fresh legs in attack.
While there were end-to-end attacks in the closing minutes, neither side could snatch the winner and they settled for the share of the spoils, with Swallows remaining in fifth place while the Western Cape side were also stuck in 14th place.
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Here's how they started:
Swallows: 50. Tshabalala, 27. Matlaba, 38. Sait, 5. Letlabika, 22. Hlanti, 3. Mahlatsi, 15. Nyatama, 9. Mokoena, 24. Basadien, 14. Thibedi, 26. Malinga.
Subs: 1. Wynne, 2. Sibiya, 37. Ritchie, Mosadi, 3. Khupe, 21. Seabi, 12. Gamildien, 28. Sekgota, 11. Mbokoma.
Stellenbosch: 35. Langeveldt, 24. Macheke, 5. Mthethwa, 8. Van Heerden, 7. Van Rooyen, 19. Sinkala, 18. Nange, 22. Skelem, 13. Dimgba, 9. Du Preeze, 23. Adams.
Subs: 17. Stephens, 20. Robertson, 4. De Goede, 15. Bergman, 14. Msengi, 27. Jabaar, 30. Avontuur.
There are just eight match days left of the DStv Premiership season and we are getting closer to crowning the champions and finding out who will be relegated.
