FC Jacaranda took revenge and progressed to the provincial SAB League play-offs after thrashing Champion FC 2-1 in an entertaining SAFA OR Tambo regional derby, decider match this past weekend.
At half-time, the score was 1-1, but at a round 70 minutes, the Qokolweni troops managed to increase the pressure and penetrate through the Champion FC’s defence and make it 2-1 in their favour.
FC Jacaranda assistant coach, Lunga Dyandyi, shed tears of joy as his team was crowned SAB regional champions.
“I am very excited; these are tears of joy; it’s my first time crying.
“Last time we played against Champion was in a Nedbank Cup decider match and they beat us with this (same score of) 2-1 and I told them at the time, ‘let’s meet again in a league decider,’ and indeed that happened.
“We managed to repay them for that 2-1 defeat.”
Champion FC coach, Mongezi Mankangeni, said, “The game was good; we had many chances but we failed to convert them and in football, it’s like that.
“If you fail to convert your chances you end up losing.
“We lacked concentration. They only got two chances and we were punished.”
OR Tambo SAFA president, Sandile Nowalaza, congratulated the Qokolweni troops and said that he has confidence that they were going to win the provincial play-offs.
“I am convinced (they will win). I’m satisfied with how the teams played and how our officials officiated.
“I have a hope that the team is going to be promoted to the ABC Motsepe League,” said Nowalaza.
