Matebele’s fairytale run ends

Kabelo Boranabi | Tuesday November 7, 2023 09:44

The league rookies had gone off to a promising start, collecting seven points from a possible nine in the first three games. The team now has three points in as many matches and Jacobs says the poor run is a wake-up call for his players. “It is good that it is happening especially to the players so that they can stock and say this is where we need to improve. Three points in the last three games is not good but who did we play, we played Orapa (United), we played GU. These are top four teams but it is overwhelming to see a 5-0 defeat. I do not think the score line flattened us and I should laud them for being ruthless. “It is for us to go back to the drawing board so we can work hard again. I always say a game provides you with training materials, so the morale would be down but we need to pick it up. We need to tame this loss and build on it; the fairytale run has come to an end. It is back to business and we need to grind the results. It is good that it happened in the manner it did. Sometimes you never see something when it not broken, so we need to fix what has been broken,” Jacobs said.

The Reds opened scores as early as the seventh minute as Molaodi Tlhalefang beat his marker and slotted into the bottom corner. Mpho Kgaswane had his shot parried wide by the goalkeeper before Kemmy Pilato directed his long range shot wide on the 13th minute. It was 2-0 on the 18th minute as Mothusi Johnson headed home Mpho Kgaswane's corner kick. Kgaswane made it 3-0 for the Reds with a well taken, lowly driven strike on the 27th minute. On a heavy deficit, Matebele tried to stage a comeback but were guilty of losing the balls in the midfield.

The Reds carried a healthy 3-0 lead into the break. Seven minutes in to the second half, Kgaswane tried with a long range strike but it was fisted for a corner kick by the goalkeeper. Tlhalefang could have bagged a brace on the 65th minute, but from inside the box, he shot wide off the post. The striker came close once again but he could only direct his half volley in to the side net on the 84th minute. Substitute, Omphile Ramoagi made it 4-0 after he was played a through ball by Mpho Kgaswane and he beat the keeper to the near post on the 88th minute. Two minutes later, The Reds made it 5-0 with yet another goal from the bench as Poloko Nkalolang beat the keeper to the far bottom corner.

GU’s head coach, Pontsho Moloi, had praises for his opponents and said the heavy score line does not represent Matebele’s true strength. The teams: GU: Thabo Motswagole, Alphord Velaphi (Kutlo Othusitse) Tshepo Maikano, Mothusi Johnson, Karabo Phiri, Lebogang Ditsele, Mothusi Cooper, Thero Setsile (Ronel Manyanga), Mpho Kgaswane (Omphile Ramoagi), Thatayaone Kgamanyane, Molaodi Tlhalefang (Poloko Nkalolang) Matebele: Mbemutjia Mata, Bernard Kebotseng, Maatla Magosha, Osego Lesetedi (Obonye Moswate), Utlwang Ramakgathi, Kemmy Pilato (Nonofo Dikutu) Romeo Kasume, Mompoloki Samachana (Bonno Mosea), Thabo Maponda, MacCartney Naweseb (Emmanuel Thabe), Kemoreng Batisani (Alphius Selefho) Caution: Kgamanyane, Moswate, Tlhalefang

GU 5 (Tlhalefang seventh, Johnson 13th, Kgaswane 27th, Ramoagi 88th, Nkalolang 90th) Matebele 0