10 Dec 2019

Township Rollers and BDF XI, historically Botswana’s two most successful club sides with 23 league titles between them, will in early 2020 contest the semi-finals of the lucrative Mascom Top 8, with mining town sides Jwaneng Galaxy and Orapa United scheduled to contest the other semi.

A place in the final and the chance to win P1.4 million will be at stake in the semi-finals due to be played on the weekend of January 24-26, with Rollers and Galaxy the home sides in that first leg, and the return leg to be hosted by BDF and Orapa on the weekend of February 7-9.

The semi-final draw took place on Monday night at the Royal Aria Stadium in Tlokweng after Township Rollers had defeated Molepolole City 4-0 to win the final of the four quarter-finals 6-0 on aggregate.

Awe-inspiring Segolame Boy and Mothusi Cooper first half goals as well as a second half Tumisang ‘Teenage’ Orebonye brace accounted for the emphatic win by Popa on a night the waterlogged pitch made it hard for both sides to play carpet football.

To their credit, Rollers and Molepolole City tried their best to play at a fast tempo despite the terrible state of the pitch, with different patches of the pitch not allowing the ball to bounce or roll.

Chasing the tie having lost the first leg 2-0, it would be City who would take the early initiative, nearly breaking the deadlock in the 18th minute.

Ofentse Mmipi found his way into the Rollers danger zone and in an attempt to tuck the ball past Keeagile Kgosipula from a narrow angle, the ball agonizingly moved across goal before going wide.

A great chance to take the lead on the night and reduce the aggregate 2-0 deficit spurned, City would then struggle for the rest of the match as Rollers initiated wave after wave of attack.

Edwin Moalosi had a couple of close chances and Motsholetsi Sikele then missed a gilt edged chance with an open net at his mercy.

Rollers then took a 2-0 lead to the break, through two sublime efforts; first a Cooper thunderbolt in the 39th minute, then four minutes later an inspired Boy piece of skill to float a ball from the right edge of the box that flew into Bobby Mathe’s net.

Early in the second half, Orebonye killed the match as a contest, making it three on the night, five on aggregate.

City’s youthful coach, Wame “Pepe Zino” Mokoke made a double substitution, introducing Emmanuel Machinya and Raymond Israel for Maikano Maikano and Charles Mojukeri about 15 minutes after the break.

But, the visitors’ attempt to claw their way back into the match proved futile, the wet conditions not helping their cause either.

It would be Rollers adding a fourth through Orebonye, who gave the Blues a 4-0 win on the night, and a 6-0 aggregate victory, as Popa joined Orapa, Galaxy and BDF in the hat for the semi-final draw. ENDS