Mpheni Home Defenders were crowned as champions of Limpopo SAFA ABC Motsepe league when they managed to snatch a 1-0 victory at the expense of The Dolphins FC. The provincial play-off match took place at a packed Oscar Mphetha Stadium at the University of Limpopo on Sunday.
Home Defenders will now represent the province in the national play-offs at KwaZulu Natal from 5 to 11 July.
Defenders had to start Sunday's match with a slight disadvantage, because of the absence of their midfielder-cum-striker, Ernest Munyadziwa. He had to watch the game from the grandstand because of an injury.
The Dolphins threatened to score in the seventh minute. Their midfielder, Phuti Maifo, manoeuvred past Defenders' Fisters Magodimisa and unleashed a volley. The ball hit the woodwork and bounced back into the field of play.
Defenders' players used their height advantage to win the aerial balls from behind. Instead of playing "carpet football" when they were in possession, Dolphins committed the blunder of volleying the balls from the middle of the field.
Dolphins had nobody else to blame for the defeat as they squandered numerous scoring chances throughout the game. Their second player to cause an upset was veteran player Katlego Mashego. In the 14th minute he received a pre-cooked pass from Thabo Molekwa from just outside the box. Instead of picking his spot and unleashing quickly, Mashego held onto the ball for far too long and lost possession.
Muhlupi Mavundla committed an unforgettable blunder a little later. He shot wide from the edge of the box with the keeper already beaten.
Things turned against Dolphins when Defenders were awarded a free kick outside the box early in the second half. Freedom Nyundu caught the Dolphins keeper, Hlaisane Ntimane, napping and passed to Gift Nemutandani to finish it off.