Vhadau Vha Damani miss a fortune

Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM) are still battling to come to terms with the 0-1 defeat they suffered at the hands of JDR Stars in their GladAfrica Championship League match that was played at the Soshanguve Giant Stadium outside Pretoria on Saturday.

TTM did not lose their position on the log standings, despite the defeat. They are still in the fourth position with 38 points.

TTM or Vhadau Vha Damani, as they are affectionately called, would have moved to the second spot on the log had they managed to beat JDR Stars last Saturday. Swallows FC and Uthongathi FC, who are in the second and third position respectively, played to a goalless draw against each other.

TTM realized that it was not their day when they were reduced to 10 men 12 minutes into the last stanza. Their right back, Tshepo Makgoga, was given his marching orders for dangerous play. The Tshakhuma side changed their original formation and started to play defensive football. They could not absorb the pressure from the hosts to the finish.

The goal that separated the boys from the men came in the 75^th minute. Michael Makhanya beat Vhadau’s keeper, Simon Mamudzidi, with a close-range half volley. The Stars abandoned their positions and packed themselves at the far back in a bid to protect the lead.

When asked to comment after the game, the head coach of TTM, Mr Vladislav Heric, said that the team was still on course for promotion to the elite division. He pointed out that they were only three points behind the second-placed Swallows FC, and two points behind Uthongathi FC, who are in the third spot.

He further said that what kept his hopes alive was the fact that they must still play against the top three teams in their remaining six league matches.    

Date:19 March 2020

By: Frank Mavhungu

Frank is a Human Resources Manager at the Department of Public Works in Limpopo. He is the longest serving correspondent of the Mirror, having joined us at the end of 1990.  He mainly writes sports reports and resides at Tsianda Village. In 2004, Frank won the National Castle League Award, an award for the best reporter in the SAB league in South Africa.

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