15 Feb 2021

Local champions, Jwaneng Galaxy on Sunday had their CAF Confederation Cup ambitions dented by South African giants Orlando Pirates, who eased to a 3-0 win at the National Stadium in Gaborone.

Goals from Thulani Hlatshwayo, Linda Mntambo and Congolese forward, Jean-Marc Mundele gave the visitors a comfortable away victory.

The odds are now stacked against the local flag bearers, who have to travel to Johannesburg for the away leg, with the aggregate winner from the tie assured of a place in the group stage of the continental club tournament.

It has been 11 years since former African champions, Pirates lost in dramatic circumstances to Gaborone United in February 2010; the only time a Botswana side had defeated South African opposition in CAF club competition.

Within the first 10 minutes of action, it was clear it would not be a repetition of such, as the impressive Galaxy goalkeeper Ezekiel Morake was forced into making crucial saves early on.

In the third minute, Pirates’ Vincent Pule delivered a curling shot tipped over the bar by Morake.

The resultant corner kick was kept out by Morake with a double save; first blocking Pirates’ captain Happy Jele’s header, then Terrence Dzukamanja’s close range attempt to convert the rebound.In the eighth minute, Morake parried away Dion Hotto’s long range strike to keep the visitors at bay.

Galaxy then started settling down into the match, now able to string together passes in midfield, where Lebogang Ditsile, Gilbert Baruti and Gift Moyo sprayed passes, but were unable to connect to the front trio, Thero Setsile, Tebogo Sembowa and Sede Junior Dion.

It would take just over half an hour for Pirates to get the opener; Hlatshwayo heading in a corner kick delivered by Hotto in the 32nd minute. Galaxy would spend the rest of the first half chasing the equaliser to no avail.

Early in the second half, it seemed Pirates were content with protecting their one goal away lead. But Galaxy could not build coherent attacking play to open up the Buccaneers’ defence.
Galaxy coach, Oris Radipotsane made changes some 20 minutes into the second half; Ricardo Laurenco replaced Moyo and minutes later Gape Mohutsiwa came on for Gofaone Molapi.

Laurenco, signed from Pirates, where he captained their Multichoice Diski Challenge (MDC) reserve team last season, looked bright, winning balls in the middle of the park and releasing telling forward passes.

But later on, Pirates added two goals; Mntambo scoring with a grass cutter from range with 11 minutes left on the clock, and then, with just eight minutes to spare, Mundele taking advantage of indecision in the Galaxy rearguard to score and make it 3-0. Galaxy will hope to regroup and fight for national honour in the second leg at Orlando Stadium.

But, the brutally honest assessment for the Botswana football collective should be that there is a gulf in quality between domestic football scene and the South African PSL. This is typified by no local side defeating South African opposition in competitive action apart from GU, 11 years ago and local sides generally struggling on the continent.

Improving the professional set up of the domestic football scene could assist bridge that gap, but the 12 months since early March 2020, without competitive football has just worsened existing matters. ENDS