DELMAS — Waaikraal United continued their impressive start to the Hollywoodbets Regional League campaign with a convincing 4-0 victory over S’Happy S’ngaphezulu FC at the Waaikraal Sports Ground on Sunday, 11 October 2026.

Waaikraal coach Percy “Arteta” Shungube credited his side’s preparation for the victory, while S’Happy coach Hlezmento Mahlangu admitted his team struggled to compete, particularly in midfield.

Shungube said participating in pre-season tournaments allowed him to study opponents, identify their key players and develop strategies ahead of the league campaign.

“I already knew how these guys play. I wanted to see their star players, players that they rely on to influence the game. So I was able to plan better,” he said.

Waaikraal took time to settle into the match but began finding their rhythm after the opening 20 minutes, gradually dominating possession and creating scoring opportunities.

Shungube praised his players’ movement from defence into attack but felt they could have scored more had they been clinical in front of goal.

Having opened their campaign with a 5-0 victory over Abracadabra, Waaikraal were hoping for another convincing home win.

“We were trying to go for 5-0 also in this one, but got four, which we could have scored more had we been clinical,” he said.

Shungube said winning the league remained a priority but warned his players against becoming complacent, urging them to approach each match with the same determination.

“We want to win this league. We have it as one big priority for the season,” he said.

Meanwhile, S’Happy coach Mahlangu admitted his side lacked the character and cohesion needed to challenge their opponents.

“Physically they were there, but character-wise they were not there,” he said.

Mahlangu identified midfield as a major weakness, saying his players struggled to close down spaces and prevent Waaikraal from controlling the game.

His side also failed to create clear-cut scoring opportunities.

Trailing 2-0 at half-time, Mahlangu urged his players to show greater urgency and intensity in the second half. However, S’Happy failed to recover and conceded two more goals.

Mahlangu said injuries and suspensions were not responsible for the defeat, although he raised concerns about the fitness of some players who had recently returned from initiation school.

The coach also accepted responsibility for the result, saying he needed to become more involved in training sessions to ensure his team was better prepared for matches.

S’Happy will now shift their focus to their upcoming fixture against Abracadabra, with Mahlangu determined to correct the mistakes that contributed to the defeat.

Despite the setback, he urged his players and supporters to remain positive and treat the result as a learning experience.

“We’ve learned, we are learning, it means us doing better, going forward,” he said.

Waaikraal, meanwhile, will look to maintain their winning momentum as Shungube’s side continues its pursuit of the league title.