Well, that is exactly what happened at the Absa Stadium in East London at the weekend when OR Tambo Cosmos faced Manchester United in a League fixture at the weekend.
Cosmos were in uncompromising mood when they thrashed the Alexandria-based team 6-2 before a poor crowd.
It was clear that United wanted to take the game to their more illustrious opponents from the start. It was a tactic that would’ve paid off if not for the poor finishing of their strikers.
A minute into the game, Cosmos defender Vuyolethu Tyolo brought down Mawanela Cengani about 25 metres outside the box, but the free-kick by Melukhaya Ngesi was sent way off the mark.
In the eighth minute Tamsanqa Teyise’s free-kick was slightly better as it went tantalisingly close over the top.
United pressed forward in numbers and were prone to leave their defence vulnerable on the counter-attack.
After soaking up a 15-minute barrage Cosmos slowly got a grip on the game and they showed more enterprise and purpose in their play.
They had a great chance to open the scoring when Loyiso Bolsiki worked the ball to their deadly striker Andisiwe Nomngoga in the 21st minute. But he hurried his shot and it did not trouble Bonisile Stofile in goal.
But United retaliated when Ngesi set Eric Jack free in the box, but Cosmos keeper Fanie Moloto went low to save well.
Thembekile Mdlalo, who proved a thorn in the side of the United defence, dribbled his way past his marker and slipped to Nomngoga, who whipped his shot against the upright in the 25th minute.
The match turned dramatically when in the 27th minute the United keeper collided with his defender and the ball spat loose for Nomngoga to finish in an empty net.
United hardly had time to recover when Nomngoga collected after some neat interplay between Mdlalo and Bolsiki and fired clinically past Stofile to make it 2-0.
The floodgates opened after the break and it rained goals, six in all.
Cosmos nippy midfielder Reginald Katane slammed low past the opposition keeper in the 58th minute. And then he brilliantly turned the ball past a defender and bamboozled the keeper with a clinical touch of magic to make it 4-0 five minutes later.
It all seemed over bar the shouting for United. But they had a whiff of hope when Khaya Mpushe left-footed home after Cosmos went to sleep in the 67th minute.
It was 4-2 minutes later when Ngesi scored.
But that is where it stopped for United when replacement Shaun Haschick scored what appeared an offside goal in the 74th minute, but his next strike had genuine class written on it and it was 6-2 a minute later. The die had now been cast and Cosmos can be pleased with a great day’s work.
While Cosmos will be pleased with their win, their rivals Bush Bucks had to fight hard for their 1-0 win over Rovers at Jan Smuts in their league clash.
Bucks did not have matters their own way and they had to draw on all their resources to get past their opponents.
Cloud Nine came away with a narrow 1-0 win over Tembu Royals in Mthatha as Kokstad Swallows grabbed a 2-1 victory against NMMU.
Mdantsane outfit Tornado edged out Liverpool 3-2 to live up to their pre-match promise.
In other matches, Park United and Matatiele Professionals drew 2-2; and Blackburn Rovers beat Bay Academy 2-1 at Wolfson Stadium in Port Elizabeth.
