After beating Maranzhe Barcelona 1-0 in their semifinal match of the Maranzhe Soccer Tournament at the Maranzhe grounds on Monday morning, Themba Sunrise Riders went on to beat Tshivhilidulu Hungry Lions 1-0 in the final at the same venue later that afternoon.

Hungry Lions did not show any appetite for goals in the first half. They played defensive football and allowed their opponents to spend much of their time within their territory. The referee, Mr Dion Mphuma, flashed the first yellow card in the 29th minute. Reckson Thomani of Sunrise Riders was reprimanded for a dangerous tackle on Tshifhiwa Sathuma.

The only time when Hungry Lions came close to scoring was when Khuthadzo Sigudu went loose from the left flank and shot wide from close range. At that stage, the game was 38 minutes old. The goal which separated the boys from the men came in the 65th minute. Percy Themeli gave the ball a final touch after a rebound.

As one of their many ways to search for the equalizer, the Lions introduced Khodani Nethomboni and Ntanganedzeni Mamphasa for Doctor Sathuma and Lawrence Mudau respectively. It was in the 78th minute when Hungry Lions realized that it was not their day. They were awarded a penalty after Shumani Mbave handled the ball within his own penalty box. Ndivhuwo Sathuma’s ground cutter hit the woodwork and bounced back into play, much to the disappointment of the team’s fans.