Top Four Ancitipate SAFA U19 Semifinals

Mpumalanga reached the penultimate stage of the SAFA Regional Women’s Under 19 championship after beating Northern Cape 3-1 to lead Group B following a convincing performance in Kroonstad on Sunday, 11 August 2013.

Mpumalanga will now meet Group A leaders, Gauteng in the first semi-final that will take place at the Loubser Park Stadium on Monday (Kickoff at 12:00), while KwaZulu Natal meets Western Cape once again in a do or die semi-final clash that will follow the Mpumalanga/Gauteng encounter (Kick-off: 13:45).

Mpumalanga dictated terms in the first stanza of the game and duly took the lead in 15th minute.

Thereafter, it was a ding-dong affair as Mpumalanga frantically searched for the killer second goal while Northern Cape did their bit as they looked for the equaliser.

But it was Mpumalanga who sealed their place in the semis when they scored their second goal to go to the break leading 2-0. Soon after resumption, it was game over for Northern Cape as Mpumalanga scored a third goal.

The Northern Cape were not about to let the three goal deficit get them down as they pulled themselves together to sneak home a consolation goal as the game ended 3-1 for the hard-working Mpumalanga girls.

Earlier in the day, KwaZulu Natal and Western Cape both secured a spot in the SAFA Regional Women’s League U19 Championship semi-finals from their goalless draw in their final group stage encounter, Western Cape qualifing for the semi-finals as the best runners-up side, behind KZN in Group A.

The encounter ended in stalemate after an intense battle to lead the Group A log, with KwaZulu Natal coming into the match confident on the back of a convincing 5-1 victory over the host province, Free State on Saturday, wanting to bag another victory against their coastal counterpart.

It was an exciting tussle between the two powerful coastal sides and a draw at the end of the match was probably the best result.

In a match of wits, it was KZN who looked a more purposeful side as they poured forward looking for the opening goal but Western Cape goalkeeper Tarryn Davids thwarted their attempts, but it was not a one-side affair despite the two teams going to half-time tied.

The battle continued into the second half with both teams seeking the illusive opene, both sides makign several substitutions in fruitles efforts to break the deadlock, and despite a relentless siege by KwaZulu Natal who pushed forward in an attempt to break the deadlock, Davids stood firm.

There was a flurry of goals in the second match of the day, when North West defeated Limpopo 10-0 in the final Group C encounter.

North West made their intentions clear from the first whistle, and got their first goal in the 13th minute and added a second in the 21st minute to make it 2-0.

North West literally pitched tent in their opponents’ half for the remainder of the half and scored two more goals through Mpho Bloem and Oratile Mokwena to go to half-time leading 4-0. The second half proved too hot for the Limpopo side who conceded six more goals.

(With editing by gsport)