26 Jan 2014

A mammoth task awaits Gaborone United (GU) following their 1-2 loss at home to cross-town rivals, Township Rollers in the first leg of the Mascom Top 8 semi final at the Molepolole Sports Complex on Saturday, January 25.

GU would now need nothing less than a win in the second leg to reach the finals. After the game, GU mentor, David Bright still had confidence that they could overturn the tables and win the second leg.

“It will be a challenge for us to win the next game, but it is still possible. The game is still open and we are confident that if they managed to win the first leg, so can we the second,” he said.

Bright however, expressed disappointment at the way they missed the many chances they created, especially in the first half. “We started the game well and the first goal was just the goalkeeper’s error while the second one was conceded because of a lapse in concentration at the back,” he said.

Despite Bright still having confidence that the game was still open, Rollers coach Madinda Ndlovu on one hand believed otherwise.

“As far as we are concerned we are as good as in the final. We were playing away and we came here looking for atleast a goal to make things easier for us on the return leg, but now we got two goals and a win. This is a bonus for us,” he said.

Despite winning the game, Ndlovu said it was not easy as GU came up with a good plan, but only that they too had planned well. “We knew that playing home, GU will press forward as early as possible to look for a quick goal, and we just held them until they ran out of steam and that is how we got into the game,” he said.

As in recent times, the Gaborone derby lacked the fireworks associated with the two sides since the 1960s. Traditionally the derby was the biggest sporting contest in the country, before the Township Rollers-Mochudi Centre Chiefs rivalry gained momentum.

Rollers-GU matches of old were reverting contests, reminiscent of matchups involving such iconic sporting rivals, such as Real Madrid versus FC Barcelona, Muhammad Ali versus George Foreman, or Roger Federer versus Rafael Nadal.

Older generations of Rollers and GU supporters will remember compelling matches involving the likes of Clement ‘Muller Mothelesi (Rollers) and Lele Sebele (GU) in the 1970s, Oris Radipotsane (Rollers) and Wiseman Lesole (GU) in the 1980s, as well as Thabo Motang, Joseph Chikoti (Rollers), City Senne and Patrick Zibochwa (GU) in the 1990s.

But the rivalry has been watered down by the post-2000 ignominy of relegation for both Gaborone giants, and the emergence of a ‘common enemy’ initially the ‘institutional sides’ such as BDF XI and Mogoditshane Fighters, which dominated local football at the turn of the century, forcing Rollers and GU to work together in the now defunct ‘Botswana Soccer Association’ (BOSA).

Supporters of the two sides would later unite against another common nemesis, Mochudi Centre Chiefs further watering down the rivalry of the Gaborone giants. But to the traditionalist Rollers and GU remains the contest of choice. 

Yet beyond sentiment, Saturday’s derby did not live up to the billing as the hosts pressed forward in the first few moments of the game and looked the likely team to score. However, Rollers were the first to pull the trigger in the 20th minute through Leutlwetse Tshireletso.

Tshireletso rose above everybody else to connect with a carefully laid free kick by the speedy Kobamelo Kebaikanye on the edge of the area. GU came back into the game when Tebogo Sembowa produced his usual predatory skills to capitalise after Rollers defence failed to clear at the back.

At recess the two teams were locked at 1-1, but Rollers restored their lead while the second half was still in its infancy after a good build up from the midfield, which was eventually finished by Motsholetsi Sikele with a powerful shot on the 46th minute.

A minute later, Kebaikanye jolted GU when he hit a powerful shot from close range, but this time GU skipper, Noah Maposa was equal to the task as he produced one of the best saves of the game to block the shot.

Having won the Mascom Top 8 cup once each, the two teams will now approach the second leg with a mission of keeping alive their chances of bagging it a second time.

What will make the second leg more interesting is that when it comes to the two teams, the home ground advantage is only relevant when it comes to goals, while in terms of the crowd this is not usually relevant as they are both from Gaborone. ENDS