DStv Premiership outfit TS Galaxy dispatched of ABC Motsepe League side Amavarara by 2-0 at Milpark, Johannesburg, in their Nedbank Cup last-32 round match on Sunday.
Goals by Sphiwe Mahlangu and Masilake Phohlongo were enough to see Galaxy advance to round 16 of the cup. Despite their seemingly comfortable win, Galaxy, champions in 2019, were uninspiring and gloomy in their performance.
Rockets coach Sead Ramović dismissed any suggestion that the morale at the camp may be low because of stories about unpaid salaries that recently emerged in the media.
Even though the club opted to move on and sweep the allegations under the carpet, with the club officials in full voice in the stands, the mood was clearly sombre on the pitch among the players.
In the opening stanza, Amavarara, who have ample experience in the Nedbank Cup, took the game to them. The side from the Eastern Cape asked questions of their opponents in attack and kept things tight at the back.
Ramovic's side struggled to get a hold on the game and lacked creativity and spark in the final third, which has been the story of their season. Although Amavarara tried to play on the front foot, they did not trouble the towering centre-back duo of co-captains Given Msimango and Pogiso Sanoka.
It was evident that Amavarara would not keep up with the high intensity they were playing at.
In the 40th minute, Galaxy opened the scoring via Mahlangu, whose shot around the box took a deflection on its way in. Five minutes later, Mahlangu would assist Phohlongo, by playing the ball to his path inside the box and the Galaxy No 28 placed it in the left corner of the goal.
With a 2-0 lead and the win almost certainly secured at the interval, Galaxy would only have to manage the game. The standard of the match significantly dropped, with both teams playing ping-pong with the ball for over 20 minutes in the second half.
Meanwhile, AmaZulu survived a late scare to hold on to a 3-2 win over Tornado at King Zwelithini Stadium in Umlazi, Durban. Having established a 3-0 lead through goals by Mbongeni Gumede, Gabadinho Mhango and Bongi Ntuli, Usuthu let their guard down with 10 minutes to go, allowing the Northern Cape side two goals which ensured a tense finish.
Also yesterday, National First Division's Casric progressed to the next stage by hammering ABC Motsepe League's Mkhambathi 4-0 at Harry Gwala Stadium, Pietermaritzburg.
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