JOHANNESBURG Zimbabwe Warriors midfielder, Esrom NyandoroNyandoro, who skippers Pretoria-based Mamelodi Sundowns in South Africas ABSA Premiership, had dreamt of landing his first league championship as captain, but all that evaporated with the Brazilians 2-0 loss to bottom-of-the-log side, Jomo Cosmos at the Rand Stadium in a midweek fixture.
Nyandoro has won the league on more than one occasion – first with the now-defunct Zimbabwean side Amazulu and with Sundowns. Despite this, he had set his sights on the 2009/10 ABSA Premiership crown, which would have been a personal milestone for him.
I have never won it as captain and if I had won it this season with Sundowns, it would have been a step up for me, said Nyandoro, who is also occasional captain for the Zimbabwean national team.
It would have added to my CV and given me something to celebrate with my family. However, all is not lost because we will be back challenging for it next year. Hopefully, we will be able to win it then.
The super-rich Brazilians began the season rather slowly, as they always do, but hit top form in the second half of the season. At one stage, they were tipped to prevent a third successive league triumph for their arch-rivals, Supersport United.
However, two goals by Cosmos Papi Mngomezulu and an 89th minute penalty conversion by Swazi international striker, Siza Dlamini, sealed a 2-0 win for Cosmos, which gift-wrapped the league crown to United.
Post published in: Football