On May 12, the curtains came down on the second season of the MultiChoice Diski Shield as Golden Arrows were crowned champions at King Zwelithini Stadium in Umlazi. Below, we give you a review of the second installment of the sought-after reserve league knockout tournament.
Pirates’ false alarm, SuperSport take group to the wire.
At some point Orlando Pirates looked as though they had enough zest to go all the way especially after knocking then champions and arch-rivals Kaizer Chiefs out of the competition to finish top of group A. SuperSport United took Group B to the wire and needed a last round win against Free State Stars to top the group despite being handed a 3-0 hammering by Diski Challenge champions Bloemfontein Celtic in the first round. On the other end, Mamelodi Sundowns and Golden Arrows topped Group C and D with ease.
The Brazilians’ resurgence continues, Arrows keep third championship in sight.
After topping Group C with a sterling 100% record by beating Black Leopards, Baroka FC and Polokwane City, it appeared as though no one could stop the Brazilians from claiming their first Diski Shield crown. Even in the knockout stages, SuperSport couldn’t derail Sundowns’ moving train as they lost the battle by 1-0. Later in the day, Arrows halted the chances of the Diski Shield title returning to Soweto as they thumped Pirates by 2-0 in the other semifinals.
Arrows hit the target, Sundowns wheels come off.
If any of the four teams that had already won the MultiChoice Diski Challenge was to reign supreme in the Diski Shield, it just had to be Arrows, right? They are, after all, the only reserve team to have won the coveted Diski Challenge twice – during the 2015/2016 season and 2017/2018 seasons. Defeating Sundowns, who are also previous league champions, in the final of the Diski Shield made the victory even sweeter for Vusumuzi Vilakazi’s troops. Arrows clinched their third crown in the reserve league in just four seasons – making them the most successful team to have ever graced the initiative in its five-year existence.
Noge puts in a five-star performance to send SuperSport third.
Talk about a player with a big match temperament, Felix Noge donned the captain's arm-band with a distinction. The 21-year-old SuperSport attacker scored a second-half brace against Pirates to ensure that they clinched bronze in the league and cup competition.