POLICE HALT ANGELS
Jungle Kings squeak through in Orange thriller
FOR the second year running, Eleven Angels were sent flying from the Orange FA Cup by Police XI, narrowly losing out in a tense, action-packed encounter at the Obed Chilume Stadium.
In the competition’s previous edition, Angels had their wings clipped in the round of 32; this time they made it to the last 16, where Police once again proved slightly too strong.
While rain drenched much of the south, the sun shone in Ghetto on a glorious Saturday afternoon.
The tie pitted two footballing philosophies against each other as the discipline of an organised, well-drilled Police side took on a young Angels outfit bursting with creativity and energy.
Ultimately it was the cops that prevailed, but only just!
Cheered on by their howling home support, the Division One side grabbed the early initiative, pinning Premier League Police back in their own half from the start.
They got the goal to go with their early pressure, courtesy of a fine finish from striker, Monty Enosa. Receiving the ball just inside the area, the muscly frontman expertly created space for himself before rifling a powerful low drive into the bottom corner, giving the unsighted Bokamoso Moeba no chance in the Police net.
The strike seemed to knock some urgency into the sluggish Jungle Kings, who drastically upped the tempo as they pushed for an immediate response.
Following several near misses, a wasteful Police repeatedly shooting themselves in the foot after some excellent build-up play, Angels’ defence finally buckled in the 39th minute. Out-jumping his marker, Pako Gaofose, seemed to hang in the air as he waited for Chicco Molefe’s floated cross to arrive from the left, timing his header to perfection and sending the ball crashing past Keletso Lekuni from close range.
EXCHANGES
Carrying their momentum into the second half, Maitumelo Letlaamoreng’s troops dominated the early exchanges, clipping the bar, blazing over and keeping Lekuni on high alert.
Just when it appeared the Francistown team had withstood the onslaught, Police struck from a 66th minute corner. With the defence caught ball-watching, an unmarked Tonderai Charles guided his header back across goal, the ball looping into the net with Lekuni rooted and helpless.
It sparked a frantic finale, with Angels laying siege to the Police goal in desperate search of an equaliser, while the Cops carried a threat on the counter attack.
In the end, it was an inspired display from Moeba that ultimately proved the difference. The lanky shot-stopper pulled off a number of stunning saves to single-handedly deny Angels and was rightfully named Man of the Match for his heroics. When Moeba was beaten, his defender, Letlhogonolo Senwelo, was in the right place to scramble the ball off the line.
Police’s reward for clinging on to the hard-fought win is a meeting with the defending champion’s Gaborone United, who cruised into the quarter-finals with a 5-0 drumming of Calendar Stars. First, though, they take on Jwaneng Galaxy in the BPL in midweek as they look to consolidate a top eight finish.
Angels’ attention, meanwhile, returns to their promotion push. Next up for Coach Seemo Mpatane’s squad is a tricky Wednesday trip to Selebi Phikwe where league leaders, Nico United, lie in wait. Having finished 4th and 3rd in their last two seasons, the ambitious club are poised to go one better and secure a place in the promotional play-offs ... who, knows, they may come up against Police again next season, this time as league rivals!