OSTRICHES STRUT INTO THE NEXT STAGE
Orapa United beat AS Mangasport to advance
Orapa United pulled off a shock overall victory in CAF Confederations Cup preliminary round second leg this weekend. The Ostriches now have to be mentally prepared for the daunting challenges ahead.
Staring at the Group stages of the Confederations Cup after scrapping through 3-2 on penalties against AS Mangasport of Gabon, following a 0-0 draw, the Ostriches coach, Mogomotsi Mpote said his side should be mentally and psychologically strong in the tournament.
Mpote was very impressed by the performance of his troops saying they respected the game plan and displayed a solid performance without hiding behind the fact that football in our country has been suspended.
“It was great to taste victory with the boys but since I have been there with Rollers, it was more for the boys to enjoy; now we are playing big boys, we expect all sort of challenges to come. There is no football here so we always assume the intensity of the match fitness. That is a challenge on its own and that’s what our training is all about currently; we just need to play more competitive games and we
will get there.” he said.
Having traversed the African continent with Township Rollers, Mpote is aware of all the tricks and mind games likely to be posed by opponents. “It started with As Manga, we arrived at the airport and stayed there for 4 hours without an official coming to fetch or help us. Those are the challenges besides language barrier and weather condition.”
The Ostriches will face Coton Sport of Cameroon on October 15 as they strive to make it into the group stages of the tournament. The team will have to do better than the previous games if they are to stay in the tournament.