Wanderers vow to fight on

The local team campaigning in the Motsepe Foundation Championship (National First Division), Midlands Wanderers FC, are determined to fight on despite losing 3-1 to Highbury FC away at Port Elizabeth’s Nelson Mandela Bay University Stadium on Friday. The fatigued Wanderers team was caught off guard by the home side and as the effects of spending long hours travelling from KwaZulu-Natal to the in Eastern Cape showed. Wanderers, also known as Abafana Bebatha (In Step Boys), are fighting to avoid relegation from the second tier of South African soccer.

Wanderers chairperson and head coach Vincent “Masenti” Myeni said the recent setback is disturbing, but insisted that they won’t lose focus of their main mission in their first season. “Well it’s upsetting and mentally disturbing, but you know we want to survive and be in the same league next season. “Our main task or mission is to survive the relegation axe and be able to compete on the same stage next season,” said the Wanderers coach.

We all know and it’s in our minds that we won’t go down. We just need to stay strong until the end of the season but also pick up points. On Wednesday, Wanderers visit Gomora United at Malamulele Stadium at 3pm, and on Sunday they will be back at home to host Lerumo Lions at Mpumalanga Stadium.

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Kick-off is also at 3pm. United came into the clash on the back of five successive wins in the league, while Black Leopards needed to secure maximum points to give themselves a shot at survival. However, the league leaders got off to the perfect start when Khetukuthula Ndlovu opened the scoring in the 33rd minute. The lead was doubled in the 66th minute, with Ndlovu bagging his second goal of the contest.

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