On Sunday afternoon, Sekhukhune United halted their two-game losing streak in the DStv Premiership with a goalless draw against Polokwane City in the Limpopo derby at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium.
Sekhukhune were boosted by the return of goalkeeper Badra Ali Sangare, Edwin Gyimah, Daniel Cardoso and Mokhele Moloisane, who all started the game.
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DSTVPrem
⚽️ Sekhukhune Utd vs Polokwane City
Sunday, 08 October 2023
Peter Mokaba Stadium
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The sides cancelled each other out in the early stages, with Babina Noko having the first threatening shot of the game on 24 minutes after Chibuike Ohizu struck a shot wide from the edge of the box.
Polokwane seemed to have caught a wake-up call, as they pressurized Sekhukhune towards the end of the first stanza and Mokibela Ramabu had a big chance after he latched onto a cross at the back post but Sangare made a point-blank range save.
Lehlohonolo Seema’s charges kept on coming and they had a penalty appeal on the stroke of half-time after a ball hit the arm of Daniel Cardoso in the box but the referee was not persuaded, as the first stanza ended without goals.
The game was open in the early stages of the second stanza but both sides lacked urgency in the last third. Brandon Truter’s men started to drop deep in their own half after the hour-mark, as they invited pressure from Polokwane but Rise and Shine did not have the creativity to unlock them.
For the last 20 minutes, Truter made a double attacking change to attack the spaces behind City’s defence, as he brought on Sibusiso Vilakazi and Tiklas Thutlwa in places of Vusimuzi Mncube and Kgomotso Mosadi.
The changes had the desired impact for Sekhukhune five minutes later as Ohizu nearly broke the deadlock with a free glancing header that missed the far post agonizingly wide from a cross by Thutlwa.
Polokwane had the momentum in the dying minutes but they did not have the cutting edge in the final third, as the sides shared the spoils.
A point moved Rise and Shine up to fifth on the table while Sekhukhune went up to ninth.
