Mapate Black Mambas fought hard to beat Miluwani Happy Boys 1-0 in their Thulfa league match at the Miluwani grounds on Sunday afternoon.
The game was one of two halves as Mambas were the superiors when it came to ball possession in the first half, with Happy Boys dictating the terms throughout the last stanza. Happy Boys committed suicide by leaving out their three regular players, Mulalo Netshandama, Lufuno Sithubabila and Godfrey Tshisikule, in the starting line-up. The trio were only introduced later in the game.
Although Boys were out of touch for the better part of the first half, their Rastafarian midfielder, Aḓivhaho Ramuntshi, remained a live wire. He was everywhere, distributing some telling passes from the middle of the park while playing as a full striker at the same time.
The boys were separated from the men in the 57th minute. Talifhani Masiavhula, the Mambas' captain, tapped in the ball, following a scramble within the box. Boys tried their luck by replacing Aḓivhaho Ramuntshi, Phathutshedzo Shivambu and Gumani Mphephu with Mulalo Netshandama, Lufuno Sithubabila and Godfrey Tshisikule respectively. The replacements proved to be a clever move on the part of the Boys' technical staff as they started to play attacking football afterwards. Black Mambas played defensive football in the last 20 minutes of the game.