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Saturday, October 19, 2024

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Ofori’s effort not good enough as Stellies sink AmaZulu to reach CKO quarter-final

Athenkosi Mcaba and Stellenbosch FC teammates keep their Carling Knockout title defence alive after beating AmaZulu 2-1 in the opening round. Stellenbosch FC

Athenkosi Mcaba and Stellenbosch FC teammates keep their Carling Knockout title defence alive after beating AmaZulu 2-1 in the opening round. Stellenbosch FC

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AMAZULU (1)(1)

Moremi 53’

STELLENBOSCH (1)(2)

De Jong 23’, de Jong 97

Richard Ofori did his best to keep the water out, but AmaZulu still sunk as Stellenbosch beat them 2-1 after extra time to cruise to the Carling Knockout cup quarter-final.

Stellies reached the second round of the competition to keep their title defence alive, having been the first team to win the inaugural ‘beer cup’ last season.

And while this win will slightly make up for Stellies’ loss in the MTN8 final two weeks ago to Orlando Pirates, it sure stung for Ofori and co-coaches Vusumuzi Vilakazi and Arthur Zwane.

The duo was taking charge of their first match since being appointed Pablo Franco Martin’s replacement, the Spaniard who was sacked after a disastrous start to the season.

Sure, they didn’t have the ideal start, but they’ll surely take positives from Ofori’s heroics and a strong finish especially against one of the best coached teams in the land.

The heavens opened at King Zwelithini Stadium in Umlazi in the first half, providing an interesting sight to the discerning observer by linking the fate of the coaches to the rain.

These could have easily been the incoming showers of blessing for Usuthu’s co-coaches or the tears of joy for their Stellies counterpart.

Zwane and Vilakazi were in the first day of their first gig together as co-coaches, while Barker had wept dreadfully after his last visit here in Durban after the MTN8 final.

But came and went regulation time, but the fate of both sets of coaches was still in the balance, with the score deadlocked 1-1 after Ofori’s heroics between the sticks.

It would take extra time for the champions to seal their fate as Andre de Jong proved his worth, scoring the winner to send his side to the second round.

Early on, though, the rain that soaked Stellies’ jersey only ensured that it didn’t show they hardly broke a sweat as they strolled into the half of Usuthu with sheer ease.

Zwane and Vilakazi started the game already cladded in rainsuits, perhaps knowing the rain wouldn’t keep out the baptism of fire they would get from the Wineland side in performance.

And thanks to their selection of Ofori as today’s No 1 – after demoting the erratic Veli Mothwa and young Olwethu Mzimela – that performance wasn’t turned into goals.

Ofori, making his first start for the club since joining Orlando Pirates where he’d last started his last game in more than a year, did his best to keep the water out.

The Ghanaian made his first daring stop after saving de Jong’s close-range header, having the New Zealander connected well with Sanele Barns’ corner-kick in the air.

Ofori, again, came into his team’s rescue after striker Ashley Cupido had mopped the wet floor with his markers before hitting a hard shot which the former saved with his leg.

It was all Stellies in the first half – the Usuthu 12th man doing their best to keep their team in the game by applauding every Ofori save.

Ofori could only do so much from not leaking a goal, though, as his defensive unit – especially the fullbacks – struggled to plug the holes, allowing Stellies to penetrate.

De Jong controlled with a cut-back which found Devin Titus on the edge of the box. The latter latched onto the pass and rattled the roof of the net.

Ofori pulled off a few more great saves before the break, while his opposite number Sage Stephens was on a mini-holiday – having faced no shot on target in the first stanza.

Zwane and Vilakazi made a double change at half-time, with Wayde Jooste and Etiosa Ighodaro taking the pitch – in search of a goal.

The substitution bore immediate fruit, with Jooste unleashing a delightful pass from the middle which found an onrushing Tshepang Moremi who slotted past Stephens.

— SABC Sport (@SABC_Sport) October 18, 2024

That goal forced Stellies to respond quickly as they strung together passes, but Ofori again saved his team from leaking more goals – keeping Usuthu afloat.

The half-time change nearly combined to sink what had been a steady Stellies ship as Jooste provided a lightning cutback which Ighodaro rattled towards goal, forcing Stephens into a save.

Ofori, though, was back at it with his saving acts – the Ghanaian making a jaw dropping rescue when Titus thought he had stolen the game for Stellies, with a close-range shot, at death.

But for all his efforts of keeping the water out for Usuthu, Ofori was beaten from close-range by de Jong’s header in extra-time after a delightful cross from Barns.

De Jong thought he had sunk AmaZulu in their own pond, but his third goal was dubiously ruled offside by referee Luxolo Badi.

Usuthu flipped the script towards the end in search of a goal, and Stephens proved why he’s the captain of this Stellies’ ship as he kept his side afloat and through to the next round.

The defending champions sailed off to the quarter-final, with Ofori’s rescue mission proving null and void as Zwane and Vilakazi’s tenure got off to a sour start.

Related Topics:

stellenbosch fcamazulusoccercarling knockout cup