22 Nov 2015

Defending champions, Gaborone United (GU), will now have to watch from the stands to see who  will replace them as Mascom Top 8 winners.

BDF XI eliminated GU on 3-0 aggregate on Saturday.

This must have been sweet revenge for Matebele as GU denied them the supremacy in the second edition of the cup when they defeated them 2-1 in the finals.

The elimination also ruled out the possibility of Moya Goleele stretching history by winning the cup for the third time. So far GU, are the only team to have won the lucrative cup twice. 

Having succumbed at home to a solitary Patrick Kaunda strike, many expected GU to come into the game like a wounded lion, but contrary to expectations, the Money Machine, instead displayed the performance of a humble lamb as they left most of the attacking to BDF XI.

GU never really convinced their fans as they failed to gel, especially in the midfield where Alfonse Modisaotsile and Ntesang ‘Mirror’ Simanyana could not connect the defence and the frontline.

Simanyana was the most guilty part as his passes were intercepted most of the time, killing the flow of their play, and on the sporadic chances that they had in attack, the Money Machine were a bit wasteful, with the Namibian international, Benson Shilongo wasting clear chances on the 17th and 32nd minutes when he was clear on goal, only to shoot wide.

On the stroke of halftime, Kaunda came to haunt GU once again. The striker received a pass on the far right wing, and whipped in a curly short where United shot-stopper, Goitseone Phoko was clearly anticipating a cross.

The young goalkeeper was a bit embarrassed to see the ball sailing behind him into the net, and making it more difficult for a comeback. In the second half the complexion of the game did not change much as BDF XI were still the more determined team, making it no surprise on the 74th minute when they won a free-kick just outside the edge of the box.

A cleverly whipped-in cross sailed above the GU defence and landed right at the feet of an unmarked Khumbulani Madziba. 

The former Mogoditshane Fighters hitman easily slotted home to take the game beyond reach for GU, who now needed a miraculous four goals in the space of 15 minutes to proceed to the semi-finals.

Sensing the impossibility, GU supporters started tumbling down the stands to head for the exit door. 

The elimination of GU from the cup now means that both Township Rollers and BDF XI have a chance of equaling their (GU) record of winning the Mascom Top 8 twice. Ends