ROYAL Bucks will represent Motherwell Football Association (MOFA) Local Football Association (LFA) during the SAFA Nelson Mandela Bay Inter-LFA championships, after their 2–1 triumph over Valencia FC at the MOFA LFA Mayor’s Cup finals at Motherwell NU 11 Stadium on Sunday.
Bucks faced the unbeaten MOFA Premier League side, Eleven Stars, that they beat 2–1 in the mid-week semi-finals at Motherwell NU 11 Stadium.
Valencia FC took on Bisho Stars, also in a mid-week semi-final match at the Motherwell NU 11 Stadium, eliminating their opposition 1–0 in the process.
Bucks’ striker, Siviwe Senyaka Siyona, produced a solo run down the right flank and delivered a perfect cross, which Valencia defenders failed to intercept, but Sinempilo Sifunda successfully squeezed into the back of the net, with goalkeeper, Siyamthanda Gojela, well-beaten in the 20th minute.
Valencia came up strongly, and their mid-fielder, Sinoxolo Vuba, who was the Man of the Match, tapped a ball to his skipper, Lazola Mahlakahlaka, over the Bucks’ defence who failed with their offside trap, but Valencia beat Bucks’ goalkeeper, Athenkosi Mantyi, to keep the score at 1–1 at the 24th minute.
Valencia piled on more pressure, but the experienced Mcebisi Gawulana did his homework for Bucks in the mid-field.
As the game was about to end, Siyona sent a cross that beat Valencia defence, insomuch that the unmarked Asive Hewana side-footed the ball into Gojela’s far-post. The goalkeeper was unable to deal with the Bucks’ dribbling wizard’s efforts which guided his team to claim a hard-fought 2–1 win over the knockout specialists, Valencia. The venue and date of the regional championships will be announced in due course.
