Matebele pay the penalty in Orapa defeat
Mqondisi Dube | Tuesday November 3, 2026 10:06
Baboloki Makhura delivered the decisive blow in the second half. Matebele had a chance to take control of the match in the first half after being awarded a penalty but Boitshepo Mogome failed to convert from the spot, leaving the contest finely balanced. The missed opportunity proved costly as Orapa eventually found the breakthrough in the 66th minute through Makhura, who struck to secure all three points for the visitors. Matebele coach, Elias Chinyemba felt his side had done enough to get something out of the match, praising their attacking approach but lamenting their failure to make the most of their chances.
'I think we played very well. We combined well, found spaces, used the wide channels and created a lot of chances. 'Unfortunately, we got a penalty in the first half, but my boy could not convert from 12 yards,' he said. Chinyemba believes his players are still finding their feet in the top-flight, having arrived in the league with the potential to compete. 'We have very capable players. What they need is to familiarise themselves with the league, which they are doing. Hopefully, in the next game, when we create chances, we will be able to finish them,' he said.
The coach, who previously worked with Orapa, played down the significance of losing to his former employers but was less forgiving of the match officials. Chinyemba questioned two decisions, arguing that an apparent last-man challenge was not punished with a red card and that another incident should have resulted in a free kick inside the penalty area rather than outside it. 'I don't know where we are going with the kind of decisions from the referees. A last-man challenge in the box results in a free kick outside the box, while another last-man challenge only attracts a yellow card.
Those decisions destroy the hard work we put in throughout the week as coaches,' he said. However, Chinyemba acknowledged that referees are human and could make mistakes. His Orapa counterpart, Kentse Motlhale, was pleased with the victory but admitted that his side should have settled the contest much earlier. 'Obviously, I am satisfied, but not that much. We could have wrapped up the game earlier, but thankfully we got the three points,' Motlhale said. He also said Orapa needed to sharpen their finishing as they approached the final stretch of the campaign.
'We need to go back to the drawing board as we enter the last stage because we are not converting our chances,' Motlhale said. On the officiating controversies, Motlhale chose not to be drawn into the debate, saying refereeing decisions often attract criticism regardless of which side benefits from them. 'Regarding the referees, there are always issues, whether they are for or against you. It is not something I want to get involved in,' he said.
Matebele 0 Orapa 1 (Makhura 66th)