Galaxy's last-gasp goal revives dream

Lebogang Mosikare | Monday February 21, 2022 16:09

Sesinyi, who is Galaxy’s top goal scorer was lively throughout the game and equalised to earn his team a valuable point in their 1-1 draw against Étoile. The draw against Étoile pushed Galaxy to the bottom of Group C in the Champions’ League with one point from two games following their 4-0 drubbing at the hands of another Tunisian giants, Espérance S. de Tunis.

Étoile tormented the hosts from the start of the match and found a goal in the 14th minute through a corner kick from Youssef Laouffi which found Ivorian striker Souleymane Coulibaly who nodded home with a ferocious header that left Galaxy goalkeeper, Anthony Gouws with no chance. Galaxy started to play better in the second half with their South African striker Lucky Mokoena involved heavily in their attacks. Étoile goalkeeper, Aymen Methlouthi Balbouli did well to save Mokoena’s effort in the 19th minute. Galaxy continued to pile pressure on Étoile with Rudath getting behind the defence and lifting a shot over the cross bar with fans on up on their legs thinking that he had scored an equaliser.

The hosts continued to pile pressure after the half time break with Namibian Wendell Rudath threatening whenever he had the ball. In their endevor to defend their slim one goal lead, Étoile literally packed the bus in the second half but Resaobaka Thatanyane nearly punished them after he directed a Rudath cross just inches wide of the bottom right in the 88th minute. However, it was Sesinyi who hopped up at the far post to meet a lofted cross from Moagi Sechele, sending his header past a scrambling Balbouli and a retreating Étoile defender to seal Galaxy’s point in the first minute of second half stoppage time. In a post match interview, Galaxy coach, Morena 'Cuthbert' Ramoreboli said his team could have done better because they created a number of scoring opportunities but were not clinical before the goal posts. “We could have gotten three points if we were clinical before the goal posts but anyway its a game of football. I hope my players have learned a lot from this game.

Although we lost against Espérance heavily, the score is not a true reflection of what really transpired during that game,” said an optimistic Ramoreboli. Ramoreboli added that his team defended much better and also kept possession. His Étoile counterpart, Rodger Lemerre who was once the national team coach of France, Tunisia and Moroccan and numerous clubs in France, Tunisia, Turkey and Algeria-said that his team did not exercise too much patience to get the three points that they were looking for.

The teams:

Jwaneng Galaxy: Gouws, Savio Kabugo, Gape Mohutsiwa, Thabang Sesinyi, Thabang Mooketsi, Gilbert Baruti, Tshepang Boithatelo, Moagi Sechele, Kebonyemodisa Leinanyane, Wendell Rudath, Mokoena

Étoile du Sahel : Balbouli, Ghofrane Naouali, Houcine Benayada, Youcef Laoufi, Mootez Zaddem, Salehedinne Ghedamsi, Jacques Amour, Tagnouo Mbe, Mohammed Dhaoui (Baligh Jemali), Mohamed Msakani (Oussema Abid), Abraham Wayo, Souleymane Coulibaly (Vinny Bogonga Kombe)

Jwaneng Galaxy 1 (Sesinyi 91st) Étoile du Sahel 1 ( Souleymane Coulibaly 14th )