12 Mar 2023

Six time FA Cup winners, Township Rollers, scored three times against division one minnows, Super Stars, in the Orange FA Cup game at Sam Sono Stadium in Selebi Phikwe on Saturday.

In a game bearing comparison of the biblical David vs Goliath affair, Rollers reversed the ending with Mogakolodi Ngele scoring from a penalty in the first half.

Towards the end of the first half, Ngele struck again to defy the expected upset of David.

In the dying minutes of the second half, Rollers’ Bame Morwalela rounded up the win.

Although the hosts pulled some strings of ineffective inter-connected passes in the first half, much to the whistles of approval from their supporters, their rigidity was stretched beyond elasticity as Rollers peppered them with targeted slingshots, leaving them nursing gaping wounds.

The Stars came to the game shinning the brightest after hummering Etsha Stars 6-1 in the preliminary stages of the cup.

After the game, Rollers coach, Sergio Traguil, admitted to the challenges resonant to a big team playing a smaller side.

“Cup games are never easy. It is always difficult for us especially playing with lower division teams because of their inner motivation,” said Traguil.

In psyching up his boys to arm up against Stars who could stage an upset, Traquil cited what happened to Benfica, a leading Premeira Liga side in Portugal which is also in the quarterfinals of UEFA Champions League.

Benfica, Traquil said, struggled in a cup competition with a fourth tier team in Portugal until they eventually won at the penalties. To that, Traquil rallied his boys against the same approach.

“I know this cup can have a surprise, but we didn’t allow that to take place today and the boys are very happy,” cleared Traquil.

“Coming here we knew that this team will park the bus, but we found ways to score,” added the Rollers coach. Although Stars are out of the competition, coach

Shepherd Mosekgwa said ‘this competition accorded us a chance to rebuild as playing against teams like Rollers tested our character’.

Mosekgwa said the test against bigger opponents as Rollers boosted his team in their quest to represent Selebi Phikwe Regional Football Association at the First Division North playoffs and qualify for the cup next season.

“I don’t think we are going to have a problem looking at the way they were applying themselves against a better side,” he said.

Apart from stage fright, which could have contributed significantly to the hosts’ loss, Mosekgwa said it was also a challenge playing against a big brand like Rollers.

The former BDF XI player Mosekgwa admitted that some of his players were star-struck and hero-worshipped the likes of Ngele.

Again, Mosekgwa said, some of the Stars’ players were staunch supporters of Rollers. Ends