City Kings' rapid rise face Police test
Kabelo Boranabi | Saturday April 13, 2024 05:00
The two teams will clash at the City Kings Arena in Gumare on Saturday in a 3:30pm kick-off. The home side is in a phase of their lives as they eliminated second-tier sides, Makungulupeswa FC and Mochudi Centre Chiefs in the first and last 28 rounds of the competition.
A penalty shoot-out win over Chiefs was the sweeter of the two victories as City Kings knocked out the four-time Premier League champions from the cup competition. It only took a two-year period for City Kings to be formed and be counted amongst the last 16 teams in the national cup.
Formed in 2022, City Kings went on an unbeaten streak in the third-tier league only to lose out in the promotional playoffs. "City Kings has a consultative approach to the way we conduct our everyday running of the club. We consult with the management, players, coaches, supporters and the business community in Gumare. We rely mostly on how things should be run and backed by firm management. These are people who bring different expertise into the club and we are blessed that some, including the chairperson, are former football players.
The majority of the management is the youth, and only commitment and passion, and the expertise we have, have brought us to where we are," City Kings' team manager, Freddie Chake, told MmegiSport this week. The team's record in the FA Cup is intact and hopes for a scalp over visiting Jungle Kings. Police XI is in for a more than 10 hours long trip travelling close to 1, 000 kilometres to Gumare. The Cops face a totally different scenery in Nhabe with the temperatures expected to be a little higher while the playing surface is also not similar to the one in the south. Chake feels his side could have a slight advantage over their visitors but is doubtful the conditions could be a deciding factor. "We were in the same spot as Police XI when we travelled to Nshangashokwe to face Makungulupeswa for our first-round tie.
The ground was different from the one we are used to and a lot of factors. So we know Police XI are also considering those factors. I believe that will be an advantage to us because they are not used to this area. We are ready for any situation we might use to gain an edge or advantage," said Chake. In other games, UB Hawks and VTM FC clash at the SSG Grounds while Jwaneng Galaxy travel to the Serowe Sports Complex to take on Tsabotlhe FC. Pula Roofing hosts Sua Flamingoes at the Ramodibe Grounds while Mbakalungu welcome TAFIC at the Kasane Prisons Grounds.
The National Stadium will host an all-elite league clash between Township Rollers and Nico United. On Sunday afternoon, Chadibe FC face Orapa United at the Chadibe Grounds while Gaborone United and Security Systems clash at the Dinaledi Football Academy Stadium.