Vol.23 No.171

Tuesday 14 November 2006    
   Home  
   News  
   Editorial  
   Opinion/Letters  
   Cartoon Strip  
   Business Week  
   Technology  
   Features  
   Arts/Culture Review  
   Sport  
   
Sport
GU boss defends coach

LEKOPANYE MOOKETSI
Correspondent

11/14/2006 5:10:06 PM (GMT +2)

Gaborone United (GU) chairman, Kelesitse Gilika, has taken full responsibility for the club's disastrous performance in the Mascom Premier League. Speaking after the Reds were handed a third consecutive defeat in the league by Mochudi Centre Chiefs over the weekend, Gilika defended new Zimbabwean coach, Luke Masomere and said he is blameless. "His job is very secure. I don't blame anybody. We have all failed the team. We are all under pressure."


Gilika said if there is anybody to blame, it should be him and not the coach. "The buck stops with me. If there is anybody to blame, then that somebody should be me. If there is somebody's position under threat, it should be mine. We are working hard to try to rectify the situation but the results are not coming. We are not getting the results as a team." After losses to Township Rollers and Lobtrans Gunners, the Reds fell 2-1 to Mochudi Centre Chiefs at the University of Botswana (UB) Stadium on Sunday. Since he took over at GU, the highly rated Masomere has not won a single game. After the defeat to Chiefs, the coach admitted that he is under pressure to win. "Pressure is always there," he said.

The GU coach said that the material under his disposal is different from what other clubs have in terms of quality. But Masomere still feels that the Reds would turn the corner. He said it is a matter of time before they get their act together.

After the Sunday game, some GU supporters yelled at the officials, protesting that their team was in trouble. Some of the supporters suggested that the officials should be sacked because they are letting the club down.

On Sunday, it was Chiefs' striker Jerome Ramatlhakwane who made life miserable for GU through a second half brace. The game started on a low note with signs that it could go either way.

Pontsho Moloi of Chiefs always looked dangerous with his deft touches. At some stage during the first half, the GU goalkeeper Kgosietsile Senjoba pulled a great save from a free kick. The goalkeeper made another daring save again to deny Ramatlhakwane a goal in the first half.

GU's Kelly Mulundu failed to take advantage of a blunder by the Chiefs' defence to put his team in front. The dread-locked Mosalagae Gaborone missed another golden opportunity when the Chiefs goalkeeper Noah Maposa went astray. During the first half, Chiefs created more chances but failed to convert. But minutes after the second half, Ramatlhakwane seemed to have listened to his coach attentively, as he finished off a cross from Moloi.

The second goal came from another brilliant move from Moloi who made a solo run and laid a neat pass from the corner kick spot for Ramatlhakwane to rifle home. Masomere made two substitutions pulling out Thandwa Moreki and Mulundu for Thuso Mosweu and Gothata Samoenze.

Chiefs replaced Oteng Moalosi who did not play badly, with Molatlhegi 'Teenage' Podile. GU fought desperately to get a goal and were rewarded when Mosweu slotted in from a corner kick. Send us your comments about Mmegi newspaper Search For Old Newspaper Editions To advertise contact us through email

 
© Mmegi, 2002
Developed by Cyberplex Africa