RESSANO GARCIA, MOZAMBIQUE- The team has been in existence for a number of years now but it still doesn’t have a name. Most of its members are educators from the Nkomazi East and Nkomazi West circuits of the department of education and yet membership remains open to everyon...

who sees football as an agent for social integration. Toward this end the team has, for the third time since inception, crossed the Lebombo Border to play against Cross United of Ressano Garcia, Mozambique.

It was a blistering spring Saturday and the local stadium was packed to near capacity with spectators keen on witnessing a double-header involving a local league match and the international game. The visitors didn’t seem equal to the task as most of them looked overweight. This earned them scorn from the local spectators who booed their entry into the field. The local side, United, looked stronger and more determined to finish off their aging counterparts in the opening minutes of the game but it never happened.

The game swung from end to end with both teams making sporadic forays into the opposition box. With frustration seemingly creeping in, Cross United resorted to rough tackles often kicking their opponents to pulp. Solly Dliwayo came off the worst when he got a full boot to his face, prompting a temporary stoppage of the game. Dliwayo gingerly made his way back into play after a slow recovery.

Both teams were locked in a nil-nil stalemate at interval and the second half saw the visitors getting uncharacteristic support from a section of the local spectators.

They cheered each time the likes of Sthembiso Moyane touched the ball but their excitement was short-lived as Mozambique’s United capitalized on a defensive blunder to score in the 75th minute.

Tired and out of their depth the visitors introduced their only substitute, Smanga Moyane, in the place of Daniel Ntuli. Moyane injected some much needed bite in the middle of the park, combining well with his cousins, Mazwi and Sthembiso.

It came as no surprise when Mazwi scored the equalizer in the 85th minute, sending his team’s adopted supporters into frenzy. United were nearly embarrassed when on the stroke of fulltime their keeper fumbled an innocuous looking ball. It went tantalizingly past the upright sending the crowd into a roar.

One-all it ended and the visitors had won respect from doubting Thomases who thought they were unfit, aged and overweight.

Clearly, the Mozambicans have high regard for their South African counterparts after one of their players, Carlitos Chimomole, had secured a professional contract with Supersport United of Pretoria. Carlitos ran rings around the local team in previous encounters and it was on the advice of the Nkomazi lads that he crossed the border into South Africa where he is now turning up in the colours of the Premiership outfit. Most Mozambicans want to emulate him and this was evident in their play.