22 Jan 2019

Mara Moloi’s second-half hat-trick ensured Police X1 came from behind to beat Gaborone United 3-2 in a beMobile Premiership game played at Botswana Police College Stadium on January 19.

Despite failing to score in the first stanza, Police XI was the better side as they attacked Gaborone United and dominated the entire first half of the game.

However, it was Gaborone United who drew blood first after Patrick Kabamba received a pin-point pass from captain, Alphonse Modisaotsile, to slot in the fist goal.

The game went into recess with Gaborone United leading 1-0, and after break Police XI continued with their dominance, but their main stumbling block was GU goalkeeper Goitseone Phoko.

In the 59th minute Kabamba netted the second goal for GU after a good move between him, Modisaotsile and Tshepo Maikano.

Sensing trouble, Moloi polished his scoring boots and pulled one back in the 67th minute to make it 2-1. Ten minutes later he scored the equaliser to silence GU supporters, and he completed his hattrick in the 81st minute to ensure that his side earned three valuable points.

GU coach Phillimon Makhwengwe said he was shocked by the result as they gave away a 2-0 lead.

He noted that the Jungle Kings attacked from the left back, and that his players were slow to respond thereby giving their opponents a lot of room to utilise the area.

“Police were coming and we had to counter attack to get a security goal, but we couldn’t,”  said Makhwengwe, adding that poor communication led to the goals. “It was more defensive blunders than attack,” he said.

Police X1 coach, Mike Sithole said he was happy with the results despite the fact that they wasted a lot of goal scoring chances in the first half. He added that they were also under pressure to win the game.

He also said the players wanted to win the game at all costs given that they lost against Centre Chiefs.

“We desperately wanted to win the game, and coming from behind is historic as my players showed a lot of character on the day,” he said.

Sithole said at half-time he told his players to focus and to remember that a football game was played in 90 minutes. ENDS