PLATINUM Stars’ African dream has turned into a nightmare thanks to the individual brilliance of Mbabane Swallows striker Sabelo Ndzinisa, who scored all his team’s goals yesterday.
Not only did he score a haul of four but the Bloemfontein Celtic reject also hit the upright as the Swazi part-timers embarrassed Dikwena 4-2 in their Caf Confederation Cup Group B clash played at the Somhlolo National Stadium yesterday.
Ndzinisa’s heroics will surely win him the attention of Premier Soccer League clubs always on the lookout for players who can find the back of the net.
Both Stars’ consolation goals came from the penalty spot via Benson Shilongo, with Abia Nale missing a spot-kick for the Mzansi side late in the first half.
Dikwena have only one point from two Caf group matches and now face another tough away fixture against crack Tunisian outfit Sfaxien in Sfax on 4 June.
The Tunisians scored a 1-0 home win over Swallows in the opening group match while Dikwena had to settle for a 2-2 draw at home to Algerian side MC Alger.
Dikwena were stunned early on when Swallows took a 2-0 lead in the first six minutes as Ndzinisa struck quickly in the fourth and sixth minute.
Stars struggled with the pace of the game and Swallows, playing in the group stages of a Caf competition for the first time, were full value for their two-goal lead.
The Dikwena defence was all at sea and the home side took advantage of their shaky defence and suspect goalkeeping by Stars reserve keeper Steven Hoffman.
Stars pulled one goal back on 19 minutes when Shilongo netted his first penalty.
They kept up the pressure despite battling on the artificial pitch and were awarded a penalty late in the half, but Nale tamely struck his kick straight at Swallows keeper Sandile Ginindza.
It was game over and made for huge celebrations in the near-capacity 20 000-strong partisan crowd when Ndzinisa netted his third goal in the 64th minute after more poor goalkeeping from out-of-sorts Hoffman, a former South Africa Under-23 and SA Under-20 keeper.
Ndzinisa put the icing on the cake when he beat Hoffman for a fourth time in the 76th minute.
It went from bad to worse for Stars when Siphiwe Sithole was sent off eight minutes from time, but Shilongo pulled a goal back with a last-minute penalty.
