Under-20 Side Rips Angola Apart
Chakalisa Dube | Monday October 11, 2021 16:00
Tapaphiwa Gaebolae’s charges advanced to the third round of the qualifiers after thrashing Angola 4-0 over the weekend at the Obed Itani Chilume Stadium on Saturday. Overall, the Junior Mares won by an aggregate of 8-1, having won the first-round encounter 4-1 in Luanda. The team put in a solid performance in all departments for the better part of the match.
The players defended as a unit and still managed to push forward with ease against a disjointed Angolan side.
Once again, captain Obenetse Rathari and Keitumetse Dithebe proved that they are vital cogs in the team. They gave the visitors’ defence a torrid time. Their only undoing was wastefulness particularly Dithebe. Rathari who gave the Junior Mares the lead in the second minute. She capitalized on lack of alertness from the Angolan defence to fire home the opener from inside the goal area. The goal by Rathari appeared to have given the host momentum as they began exchanging some neat passes and penetrating Angola with ease. Dithebe could have doubled the Junior Mares lead in the ninth minute but sent her shot from the edge of the box widely with the goalkeeper looking well beaten. She however made amends in the 13th minute when he rounded the goalkeeper before slotting the ball into an empty net. After conceding two goals, Angola did have a few decent moves orchestrated by midfielder Margarete Salvador, but they were not that intimidating.
The visitors found themselves trailing by three goals in the 36th minute. Lorato Motlogwela scored the third goal from the penalty spot after defender Vanuz Francisco was adjudged to have handled the ball inside the box.
The most notable opportunity for Angola came towards the end of the second half when Salvador’s well taken low shot from close range forced an acrobatic safe from Junior Mares shot stopper Doris Motshegwa.
Rathari capped his fine performance with wonderful goal, from just outside the box n the 77th minute, which left the Angolan goalkeeper Enelia Panto with no chance. Francisco denied the Junior Mares a fifth goal with a fine goal line clearance, two minutes from. Peggy Manewe had rounded off the keeper before attempting to pass the ball to an empty net. Angola never real threatened in the second half apart from some of their neat exchanges in less threatening areas.
Botswana will now meet Ethiopia in the third round of the qualifiers billed for November. Ethiopia will prove the biggest test for the Junior Mares because they have also been doing well during the qualifiers. Overall, there are five qualifying rounds and only two teams from Africa will qualify for the world cup.
The teams:
Botswana: Doris Motshegwa, Neo Jautse (Bakang Ntsinyane), Thomas Keitumetse, Peggy Manewe, Keitumetse Dithebe, Retabile Segobye, Obonetse Rathari, Noe Repito, Lone Kalaeng (Lesego Pineng) Bofelo Rantsho (Thompho Gabana) Angola: Enelia Panto (Sara Janvario), Jonas Campos, Carla Antonios, Vanuz Fransisco, Maria Ponda, Ferlitada Paulo, Herloiza Esteves, Margarete Salvador, Manuela Sinao, Natondo Hatuvova