Galaxy Stumble against Simba In CAF tie
Kabelo Boranabi | Monday October 18, 2021 16:01
They will meet a very hostile atmosphere at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium with around 60,000 capacity. The home side will be looking to maintain its impressive home record that stands at over 85% in the continental club tournaments. However Galaxy’s head coach, Morena Ramoreboli is unfazed and said his side will fight to the last breath to reach the group stages of the competition. “I do not think we showed character after conceding. I think that if we had fought harder we could have got something. This is why we made early changes so that the players coming in can adapt well to the tactics. We have to sit, plan and fight again over the weekend.
The challenge of facing 60,000 supporters should not stop us from planning properly and go there to play with confidence, arrogance. If we are going to go there and worry about supporters, we will not succeed. We will not go there and entertain the issue of supporters; we need to fight,” he said. Galaxy were a goal down just two minutes into the tie after Taddeo Lwaga headed home A corner kick. Three minutes later, the visitors had doubled their lead. This time it was captain John Bocco who out jumped his marker to head in yet another corner kick.
The home side tried to stage a come back as Thabang Sesinyi beat his marker and set up Gilbert Baruti but the attempt was blocked in the 15th minute. Rentse Keakabetse tried one shot from outside the box but it went off the post. Mphoyamodimo Keiponye jumped well to meet a corner kick but his effort went straight into the goalkeeper’s hands. While on the other Bernard Morrison showed great skill to outwit his marker but was let down by finishing. Simba took a two-goal lead into the break. From the start of the second half, the visitors dropped deep to maintain their two-goal lead.
With Galaxy invited into opposition half, the duo of Rudath Wendell and Lucky Mokoena, who were introduced in the late stages of the first half, could not combine well to find the back of net.
Galaxy continued to press for a goal with couple of neat touches but the opposition defense remained resolute. “I think we are yet to play wonderful football. It is very important to play good football particularly in the Champions League. We must play with discipline. We must play with maturity. I am very happy and satisfied with what the players have done. They took instructions very well; they scored two goals from the corner kicks. It is something that we have worked on at the training grounds,” Simba’s coach Didier Gomes said after the game.
Galaxy 0 Simba 2 (Lwaga second, Bocco fifth)
The Teams:
Galaxy: Ezekiel Morake, Thabo Leinanyane, Mphoyamodimo Keiponye, Lesego Keredilwe, Moagi Sechele (Mpho Kgomo), Gape Mohutsiwa, Gilbert Baruti, Thabang Sesinyi (Tebogo Sembowa), Rentse Keakabetse (Rudath Wendell), Resaobaka Thatanyane (Olebogeng Malebye), Thabang Mooketsi (Lucky Mokoena)
Simba: Aishi Manual, Shomari Kapombe, Pascal Wawa, Henock Baka, Taddeo Lwaga, Sadio Kanoute, Rally Bwalya, John Bocco, Bernard Morrison, Hassan Dilunga
Cautions: Mohutsiwa, Keiponye