Arrows claw their back to eliminate Wits

Bidvest Wits were eliminated from the Telkom Knockout as they surrendered the lead twice to lose 3-2 to Golden Arrows in their last 16 clash at the Bidvest Stadium on Friday night.

Bongi Ntuli twice replied for Arrows after Kwanda Mngonyama and Sibusiso Vilakazi had given Wits the lead, before Rudolf Bester snatched a late winner for the men from Lamontville.

Nineteen-year-old Mngonyama gave the home side the lead in the seventh minute. Arrows had conceded a free kick out on the right flank after a foul by left-back Mzivukile Tom. Mngonyama headed home Matthew Pattison’s in-swinging delivery to make it 1-0.

Arrows were shell-shocked by the early goal and tried by all means to construct meaningful build ups, but their efforts were proving fruitless until the 27^th minute when they finally found the all-important equaliser.  

Wits lost the ball in midfield and were hit by a ferocious counter attack by Abafana Bes’thende. Their defence was split open as they tried to play an off-side trap but it failed as Rudolf Bester slipped the ball for an unmarked Ntuli to tap home.

Four minutes from the break Arrows nearly took the lead when Ntuli fed Bester, but the former Orlando Pirates man missed an open net as he headed wide with his former Bucs teammate and now Wits keeper Moeneeb Josephs off his line.

After that failed attempt Arrows found themselves behind in less than 60 seconds. Ayanda Lubelo found his skipper Vilakazi with a slick low cross and the 24-year-old midfielder tapped in simply to make it 2-1.

But 15 minutes into the second half, Manqoba Mngqith’s men made it 2-2. Ntuli was the man who scored as he connected with a ball from the left flank and blasted Josephs’s net from close range.

Bester gave Arrows the lead in the 79^th minute when he volleyed home close range beyond a helpless Josephs in the Wits goal for the winning strike.

Bidvest Wits (1) 2 Mngonyama 7’, Vilakazi 42’

Golden Arrows (1) 3 Ntuli 27’ 61', Bester 79’

Wits: Josephs, Pattison, Vilakazi (Isaacs 74’), Jayiya, Faty, Nhlapo, Bhasera, Benjani (Chapman 67’), Kofi, Lubelo (Langwe 82’), Mngonyama

Arrows: Gumede, Tom, Sikhakhane, Wadabwa (S Zwane 82’), Mndunge, Shange, Ntombayithethi, Ntuli, Sithole, Nene, Polelo (Bester 13’)

Backpage Media