BAROKA CRUISE INTO TKO FINAL EIGHT
Baroka FC have moved into the final eight of the Telkom Knockout after they defeated Golden Arrows 2-0 in a rescheduled match at Old Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday night.
The last 16 battle was originally set for the afternoon, but as Abafana Bes’thende were caught up in traffic problems en route to the venue, the PSL agreed to move the game to a later kick-off. Bakgaga shrugged off any inconvenience the move may have caused them and powered into the quarterfinals with a strong showing.
Baroka got off to an absolute flyer and scored within the opening 20 seconds, as Collins Makgaka turned home a cross from the right flank. The early goal gave the hosts great confidence, and they threatened a second in the minutes thereafter.
Arrows took a while to recover from the early body blow, but gradually worked their way back into the contest. Around the 20 minute mark they saw Musa Bilankulu head wide from a corner kick, before Sibusiso Sibeko had an appeal for a penalty kick turned down by the referee.
Baroka nearly doubled their advantage late in the half, with Arrows needing Maximilian Mbaeva to make a brave save, Thabo Molefe cleared an effort off the goal line in the follow-up, and a corner soon after saw Mduduzi Mdantsane shoot wide of the mark.
Arrows were more determined in the early minutes of the second half, with Nduduzo Sibiya and Lerato Lamola unlucky not to equalise from good chances, and they looked to give further impetus in attack with the introductions of Wayde Jooste and Siphamandla Sabelo.
Yet it was Bakgaga who very nearly grabbed a second goal on 65 minutes, with Mbaeva making another excellent save to deny Makgaka what would surely have been a decisive strike.
The teams went end-to-end in search of the second goal and it finally arrived in the 82nd minute, with Baroka’s Tebogo Sodi making it 2-0 with a fine header from a deep cross. The second strike for the Limpopo side effectively ended the game as a contest.
Baroka FC (1) 2 (Makgaka 1’, Sodi 82’)
Golden Arrows 0
Baroka: Chipezeze, Kgoetyane, Makume, Gebhardt, Sibiya, Sodi, Mosele, Chawapiwa, Mdantsane, Makgantai, Makgaka
Arrows: Mbaeva, Zwane, Mathiane, Bilankulu, Motebejane, Molefe Dube (Magubane 74’), Sibiya (Sabelo 64’), N. Cele, Sibeko (Jooste 62’), Lamola
