Zimbabwean international Emmanuel Jalai made a dream start to his career in the Betway Premiership, providing a solid defensive foundation as Durban City secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Polokwane City at Chatsworth Stadium on Sunday evening.
The match marked a successful debut for new head coach Sinethemba Badela, who recently took the reins with a vision to revitalize the "Team of Choice." Jalai, a 27-year-old former Dynamos FC captain and AFCON veteran, was thrust straight into the starting line-up and looked immediately at home in the South African top flight.
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The hosts wasted no time asserting their dominance, controlling nearly 75% of possession in the opening quarter. The pressure told in the 18th minute when Trevor Mokwena rose highest to meet a pinpoint corner from Saziso Magawana, nodding a powerful header past goalkeeper Brian Bwire.
While Durban City dictated the tempo, they were unable to find a cushion. Magawana and Mokwena both came close to a second before the break, while Kyle Jurgens forced a fine save from Bwire with a low, driving free-kick in the second half.
Polokwane City, known as "Rise and Shine," struggled to breach a backline marshaled effectively by Jalai. Their comeback hopes were effectively extinguished in the 88th minute when Puleng Marema was shown a red card for a professional foul, leaving the visitors a man down for the closing stages.
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