It is not often that the quality of the play in the Absa Premiership and the words ‘world class’ have much to do with each other.
This weekend, however, there were a couple of strikes in this very league that took the breath away, on an unusually awesome weekend of Mzansi net-bulging. It is
Ethiopian striker Fikru Tefera’s goal for Free State Stars against Kaizer Chiefs on Saturday night, frankly, means the South African Goal-of-the-Season award may as well be handed out right now. With his back to goal, outside the area, he flicked the ball up into the air and volleyed a scorcher over his own shoulder and past a helpless Itumeleng Khune.
It was pretty much a mirror image of the amazing goal that Thierry Henry scored for Arsenal against Manchester United in October 2000. That was almost expected of the magician that was Henry.
With Fikru, it comes as rather more of a surprise, as he has hardly been prolific in any of his spells in South African football. Then again, Fikru does have a previous instance of a spectacular goal against Soweto giants. In August 2008 he scored against his former club Orlando Pirates for SuperSport United in the MTN8 with a brilliant overhead kick. Saturday’s effort was even better.
The other spectacular goal this weekend features another former SuperSport United player, Masibusane Zongo. Zongo’s talent has been evident since he emerged at Matsatsantsa, but his off-field difficulties appear to have hindered his progress.
Chippa United are the latest club to give him a chance of redemption and on Sunday, Zongo rewarded their faith with an astonishing strike against Black Leopards. Cutting in from the right, Zongo curled a quite brilliant shot beyond Lidoda Duvha goalkeeper Azwindini Maphaha, in the process helping to revive Chippa’s battle against relegation.
The goals from Zongo and Fikru were also not the only excellent strikes seen in South Africa this weekend.
Kaizer Chiefs did well to recover from the shock of Fikru’s goal to come back and beat Free State Stars, in the process moving back to the top of the Absa Premiership.
And the goal that gave them the three points was a quite brilliantly curled free-kick from Bernard Parker, meaning the Amakhosi man is the first player to hit double figures in the league scoring charts this season.
And then there was Sifiso Myeni in the CAF Champions League for Orlando Pirates, his sumptuous volley adding to the wonder-goal he scored against Free State Stars last November.
Let’s hope for more of the same in the coming months! - The Star