26 Feb 2024

Botswana Premier League strugglers, Holy Ghost suffered their fourth defeat in a row and went down 2-0 to Sua Flamingoes at Lobatse Sports Complex on Sunday.

The defeat saw Holy Ghost remain rooted to 15th place on the log standings with 14 points from 17 matches, as relegation concerns start to increase for the Mmopane based club.

Feeble defending by Kgakgamatso Ramatshosa and Michael Pillar allowed Flamingoes’ striker Nqobile Ndlovu to give his team a dream start to the match. The burly striker shrugged off the two centre-backs after collecting a pass from midfielder Keorapetse Ramakgathi and ran through to slot the ball past Holy Ghost goalkeeper Prince Bojang in the second minute.

Holy Banyana however recovered to the early setback and dominated possession. They made some good forages into the Flamingoes danger zone but were let down by sloppiness in the final third. Their first opportunity of the match fell to Lesley Ramaphane in the eighth minute, but the striker fired straight at goalkeeper Flamingoes goalkeeper Keletso Lekuni.

Another chance followed soon afterwards after their inspirational captain Kabelano Mooketsane found Ramaphane with a pinpoint pass, and the striker squared for Joshua Ngoma who failed to capitalize on the inviting opportunity with only the goalkeeper to beat. Ngoma was replaced in the 29th minute by veteran striker Patrick Kaunda. Lekuni then parried away a well taken free-kick from Onalethata Obopile as the hosts pressed for an equalizer. However, the visitors were awarded a penalty against the run of play in the 45th minute after Kaunda was adjudged to have tripped Samuel Makgoro inside the box, and Ndlovu calmly slotted the spot kick to double the Flamingoes lead.

With former Tafic head coach Phillimon Makwengwe watching on from the stands, as reports suggest he would soon take over, Holy Ghost continued to fire the blanks despite enjoying further possession in the second half. Kaunda fired over the posts from the edge of the box in the 53rd minute. Kgomotso Kgopegang sent through Misani Thupa with a defence splitting pass two minutes later but Lekuni clawed the ball from the feet of the striker. Obopile was then denied by the upright in the 76th minute after latching onto a through pass from Kaunda and firing a powerful shot beyond the reach of the goalkeeper.

Flamingoes coach sat back for most of the second half and relied on counter-attacking through the troublesome Ndlovu, Ramakgathi, Makgoro and Mcebisi Moyo. They climbed to eighth place on the log standings, with 20 points from 17 matches, after the victory. BOPA