Maritzburg United made it back-to-back wins in the DStv Premiership with their new signing Amadou Soukouna netting a stunning late winner on Wednesday evening.
DStv Premiership
Result: Maritzburg United 1-0 Marumo Gallants
Date: 22 September 2021
Venue: Harry Gwala Stadium
Maritzburg midfielder Daylon Claasen nicked the ball back deep inside Marumo's half and ran into the box before laying it off to Rowan Human who was one-on-one with the keeper but had his right-footed close-range effort snuffed out as he went for the near post.
Marumo had their first chance of the match when Thabo Mnyamane fed in Celimpilo Ngema down the right-hand side of the box and he struck one towards keeper Marcel Engelhardt's near post and the keeper got behind it rather comfortably to make the block.
Opportunities were few and far between for both sides. Maritzburg had had no shots on target and Gallants just two in the first-half.
Middendorp made a double change to his Maritzburg side at half-time as Nazeer Allie and Leletu Skelem replaced Human and Richard Zumah. Meanwhile, Miguel Timm came on for Edgar Manaka.
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The game finally began to open up in the second half and ten minutes after the interval a diagonal was played to Thabo Mnyamane on the right-hand side of the box. Maritzburg defender Allie lost his footing and Mnyamane was through for a moment but Riyaaz Ismail came across well to cover for his defensive partner.
In the 67th minute, Brandon Theron delivered a pinpoint cross from the left but the keeper cleared it off the toes of Leletu Skelem and away for a corner with Ryan Rae heading over from the resulting Theron set-piece.
With ten minutes to go, Ngema played in Mnyamane down the left-hand side of the box and the angle was very tight but he still should have done better as he scuffed tamely into the side netting.
Just when it looked as if it was heading for a goalless draw, the Team of Choice snatched all the points in the most dramatic of fashion when Amadou Soukouna received the ball on the edge of the box and swivelled before striking the ball into Arubi's top left-hand corner with the Zimbabwean getting a hand to it on its way in as Gallants remain bottom of the table.
Here's how they line up:
Maritzburg: 31. Engelhardt, 25. Ismail, 27. Ndengane, 42. Rae, 22. Theron, 15. Ntshangase, 8. Kewuti, 17. Claasen, 10. Human, 13. Zumah, 11. Soukouna.
Subs: 1. Petersen, 4. Allie, 37. Zondi, 7. L.Hlongwane, 19. Skelem, 24. Bhengu, 38. Wyngaard.
Marumo: 36. Arubi, 24. Mvelase, 2. Nikili, 19. Ravhuhali, 18. Nonyane, 11. Otladisa, 3. Manaka, 20. Ndlondlo, 10. Ngema, 23. Mnyamane, 38. Kgoapeng.
Subs: 16. Ndlovu, 4. Hlatshwayo, 12. Khiba, 6. Timm, 22. Thangwane, 31. Madhanaga, 5. Mabotja, 15. Mphambaniso
