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Iqraam Rayners did it again for Mamelodi Sundowns as his one goal helped his side collect maximum points in Cape Town when they defeated Stellenbosch FC 1-0 on Wednesday night at the DHL Cape Town Stadium.
The visitors were in control of the game from the time the kick-off whistle was blown. An immediate impact by Masandawana saw them almost get an early goal through Malibongwe Khoza’s header in the area, but it went over the bar.
Stellenbosch was quick with the retaliation in the area, but the shot wasn’t powerful enough to go past a firm Denis Onyango.In the 18th minute, after Rayners continuously knocked on the door, he finally found the breakthrough.
He made a good run to chip the ball slightly over the goalkeeper and drove the ball to the left with pressure on his back. He then whipped it to the top right corner of the net to have his side a lead.
Shortly after the goal, Marcelo Allende was forced out due to an injury. Incoming to replace him was Neo Maema.
Downs continued being in the driving seat and had two big chances through Lucas Ribeiro, but both slightly missed the net by an inch after managing to dribble past the goalkeeper. Masandawana went to the break with a goal advantage.
Yoane Wissa stepped up as the star of the show, leading Brentford to a hard-fought 3-2 victory over AFC Bournemouth at the Gtech Community Stadium. The Congolese forward’s brace, including a crucial second-half winner, highlighted his sharp instincts and relentless drive to secure three points for the Bees.
The game started with a scare for Brentford as Bournemouth’s Evanilson opened the scoring in the 17th minute. But Wissa responded with poise, netting a brilliant equalizer in the 27th minute to bring his team level before halftime. The second half exploded with action as both sides battled for control. Bournemouth briefly regained the lead with a goal from Justin Kluivert, but Brentford answered quickly with Mikkel Damsgaard’s equalizer in the 50th minute.
Wissa wasn’t done yet. Just eight minutes later, he found himself in the right place at the right time, striking the game-winner in the 58th minute off an assist from Vitaly Janelt. His clinical finishing and tireless energy lifted Brentford above Bournemouth and marked him as the undisputed hero.
For Wissa, it was a performance to remember, as he showed he could be relied upon to deliver under pressure. Brentford fans left the stadium buzzing, knowing they had a star they could count on in Yoane Wissa.
Bryan Mbeumo emerged as the hero for Brentford, leading them to a thrilling 4-3 victory over Ipswich Town in a nail-biting match. The forward’s brace, including a last-minute winner, was the difference-maker in a game that saw a flurry of goals, tactical battles, and a resilient defensive effort from Ipswich despite being reduced to ten men.
Brentford had a rollercoaster ride throughout the game. In the 51st minute, Mbeumo stepped up confidently to convert a crucial penalty, putting Brentford ahead 3-2. But Ipswich, refusing to go down without a fight, struck back in the 89th minute through Delap, making it 3-3. The visitors’ equalizer seemed to have snatched a hard-earned point, but Mbeumo had other plans.
In the dying seconds of the game, as the clock ticked past the 90th minute, Brentford won a corner. The tension was palpable in the stadium, with Ipswich throwing everything they had to cling onto the draw. However, a perfectly whipped cross into the box found its way to Mbeumo. As he anticipated, the ball hovered dangerously across the goal line, catching the Ipswich defense and goalkeeper off guard. With a glancing touch that barely redirected the cross, Mbeumo’s strike found the back of the net to send the home crowd into a frenzy.
After the game, Mbeumo spoke about the decisive goal and his side’s perseverance: “I know this type of cross can be dangerous, either a flick or no one touches it, and the keeper has doubt. In the end, it was a goal, and it was a really important win today.”
Reflecting on Ipswich’s defensive effort, Mbeumo added, “They gave it their all in defense with ten men, so it was really hard to find the gaps. It is not always easy, but I think we showed big character today. They defended really well and were really good on the counter-attack as well. We knew we had to stay in the game no matter what, and that is what we did. We always try to stay together, stick to the plan, and we know we have the quality to get back, and that is what we tried to show.”
Despite admitting to moments of vulnerability, Mbeumo stressed the importance of celebrating victories like this: “Maybe there was a lack of focus, but we need to enjoy this kind of win. It is really important to stay unbeaten at home and make it tough for the opponents to come here. We are going to try to continue to do it.”
In a game where Ipswich battled hard, Brentford’s resilience and Mbeumo’s clinical finishing ultimately tipped the scales. The win solidified Brentford’s strong form at home, keeping their unbeaten streak intact and leaving their fans with a thrilling memory of Mbeumo’s late-game heroics.
Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has lashed out at the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike over his recent outbursts on the just concluded local government election in the state.
According to report Wike had in an interview on Channels TV on Tuesday expressed resentment on the move by the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara to conduct the Saturday election despite a court judgement.
Recall that Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja had in a judgement declared that the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC, violated requisite provisions by not publishing the mandatory 90 days notice before fixing the date for the election.
The court barred the Independent National Electoral Commission from releasing the voter register to RSIEC for the conduct of the election.
Justice Lifu also barred the Inspector General of Police and the Department of State Service, DSS, from providing security for the polls.
The judgment followed the suit brought before the judge by the state chapter of APC, faulting RSIEC’s move to fix October 5 for the polls.
But the election was held on Saturday as directed by Governor Fubara.
The governor’s loyalists who contested the chairmanship positions under the platform of the Action Peoples Party, APP, won in 22 out of the 23 LGAs in the state.
The state has recorded a series of violent clashes between supporters of Wike and Fubara during and after the poll.
On Monday, arsonists alleged to be Wike’s supporters set the Ikwerre Local Government secretariat ablaze.
There were gunshots in some other secretariats following moves by some political thugs to prevent the newly elected council bosses from gaining access to their offices.
Wike, in his first public reaction to the controversies, accused Fubara of derailing Nigerian democracy by refusing to obey the court judgement.
The former governor also alleged that Fubara’s move to remove the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon. Martin Amaewhule triggered the unending crisis.
However, in a swift response, PDP in the state urged the Minister and his supporters to seek redress in court if they were not okay with the election.
In an exclusive interview with DAILY POST, Sydney Gbara, the PDP publicity secretary in Rivers State wondered why those who were eagerly agitating for the election were now against it.
He said, “We are aware that no court judgement can stop an electoral process. What we know is that if you are not okay with an election, you can approach the court after it is conducted. So they should go to court.
“Let me take Nigerians back, conducting the local government election was one of the items on the presidential peace proclamation made by President Bola Tinubu in 2023. They (Wike and his supporters) have been willing to see the election conducted.
“At one point they even instructed the assembly that if Fubara refuses to conduct the election, he should be impeached. It is now surprising that when the RSIEC drew out the timetable for the election, they are now doing everything possible to stop it.
“This is where the conversation should start from and not whether there was a court judgement or not.
“In fact, it got to a point where the assembly elongated the tenure of the previous LG Chairmen and that was the first of its kind in the history of Nigerian democracy. Now the governor said he is ready for the election and the same people are now speaking from the other side of their mouths, saying the election should not be held.
“Where has Governor Fubara gone wrong? The Supreme Court has given judgement prohibiting caretaker committees and said every state should have elected LG Chairmen and they have a time frame of 90 days or else the state will not get allocation.
“Governor Fubara is just being obedient to the Supreme Court judgment. Anyone who wants to truncate the process does not mean well for Rivers people.”
Sydney Gbara described Fubara as a hero, stressing that “he will continue to be our hero for standing firm to ensure that democracy stands in Rivers State.
“Innocent people were killed in cold blood all in a bid to frustrate the electoral process. The truth is that they came late because Rivers People have decided to move on with Fubara.”