Don’t give GU league yet - Mpote

GU 2 (Kgamanyane, Setsile pen 88th)

Orapa 1 (Elias eighth)

Orapa United coach, Mogomotsi ‘Teenage’ Mpote has said his side is still very much in the league race despite the weekend’s 2-1 loss to log leaders, Gaborone United (GU). Mpote saw his side going 11 points adrift of GU in a Botswana Premier League (BPL) encounter played at the National Stadium. Prior to the game, The Ostriches were eight points behind The Reds and had a chance to reduce the gap to just five.

The league campaign has been more of a one-team contest with the Reds looking unbeatable as they registered their 13th win of the campaign.

But Mpote has said ‘not just yet’ as the second round of games started over the weekend.

“I have told you before and I still say let us not give GU the league yet. Let us all fight for this league (championship) as the 16 teams. GU will win their games and we will win ours and then maybe GU will end up winning the league.

We won’t be affected by this game, we have a goal we need to reach. What we need now is to keep on focusing and win our games. And yeah, it is very simple; we still have games to play and win them. We still have 14 games to go and we need to pick our wins when we can. We could lose some of course but we are still in there,”Mpote told journalists on Saturday.

From the start, the Saturday tie was a lively affair and in just nine minutes into the game, Mbatshi Elias gave the visitors the lead. The Ostriches looked more of a convincing side in the early stages.

Onkemetse Powe thought he had doubled his side’s lead but his goal was ruled offside. It was a temperamental affair. But match referee Derrick Marks was not shy to brandish yellow cards. With just four minutes to the halftime break, Obonwe Maome set up Thatayaone Kgamanyane, and the latter beat the goalkeeper to level matters in his first game after a month long injury. It was the striker’s 12th goal of the campaign as the two teams went into the break level at 1-1.

The two sides started the second half slowly until Omaatla Kebatho missed a sitter from inside the box with his kneed effort going wide in the 58th minute.

Gofaone Mabaya also went close for the visitors but he shot over the bar with the Reds’ defense cut open in the 65th minute. A minute later, Thero Setsile on the other end, put in a cross for Kgamanyane whose headed effort was saved by the goalkeeper. On the 77th minute, Kennedy Amutenya headed wide from a corner as both searched for a match winner. Two minutes later, Orapa United were reduced to 10 men when

Mooketsi Hlabano received his second caution of the match.

The Reds, with two minutes to time, were awarded a penalty after substitute, Thatayaone Ramatlapeng was brought down by Lesenya Malapela inside the box. Setsile stepped up and squeezed it into the bottom corner to give GU the lead. The Reds held on to take the maximum points.

“We take our games in groups of fives and it was vital that we win the first in the first five of the second round.

It is a desire to win all the 15 games and we are going to work hard,” GU’s coach, Innocent Morapedi said.

GU will win their games and we will

win ours and then maybe GU will end up winning the

league.

The Teams:

GU: Goitseone Phoko, Alford Velaphi (Kennedy Amutenya), Thato Kebue, Tshepo Maikano, Mothusi Johnson, Lesego Galenamotlhale, Lebogang Ditsele, Obonwe Maome, Kekaetswe Moloi (Sizwe Twala), Thatayaone Kgamanyane (Mpho Kgaswane), Thero Setsile

Orapa: Lesenya Malapela, Tlamelo Kolagano, Mooketsi Hlabano, Thato Seagateng, Thabang Mosige, Tapiwa Nyamandjiva, Kagisano Mungu (Ricky Rathogo), Gofaone Mabaya (Kelvin Bingala), Omaatla Kebatho, Mbatshi Elias (Rebaone Modisaotsile), Onkemetse Powe

Cautions: Hlabano, Kolagano, Mpote

Dismissal: Hlabano