Relegation favourites keep up fight

Mqondisi Dube | Tuesday March 18, 2014 11:16

At the top, it remained too close to call as the bottom teams responded with a potpourri of results, which left the equation far from being resolved.

Francistown side, TAFIC recorded the weekend’s biggest win, a 6-0 shellacking of Orapa United.

Both teams are in the red zone with TAFIC still rooted at the bottom but showing signs of punching back in a late bid to stay afloat. TAFIC had to get it right against Orapa United as there are matches against big guns to follow in the crucial weeks ahead. The relegation candidates are left with seven games to rescue their season.

One of them, Uniao Flamengo Santos responded emphatically to TAFIC’s win as they brushed aside Nico United 6-3 for their biggest victory of the campaign. The two results dragged both TAFIC and Santos closer to 14th placed Orapa United and Notwane. 

Notwane were bashed 2-0 by under-pressure log leaders, Township Rollers, who are feeling the heat at the top.

Only three points separates TAFIC and Notwane while Orapa is not too far with 25 points, seven away from bottom place.

Extension Gunners’ revival continued as they nailed ECCO City Greens 3-0 in Lobatse. Miscellaneous and BMC on 26 points and not safe from the relegation axe, were pegged back as they lost to Satmos and Mochudi Centre Chiefs respectively.

At the top, matters are heating up as BDF XI seized the initiative on Saturday before Rollers wrestled the leadership back on Sunday.

BDF XI, looking ominous, eased to a 3-0 victory over Police XI on Saturday to take their season’s tally to 48 points. BDF XI lost six points after the Botswana Premier League Disciplinary Committee punished them for taking football matters to court.

Rollers took their tally to 49 points with a routine victory over Notwane on Sunday, but other title chasers, Gaborone United and Chiefs kept up the pressure with wins of their own.

GU saw off Motlakase, while Chiefs beat BMC. Five points separates the top four sides as the title race heads to the wire.

Meanwhile, there is a mouth-watering tie tomorrow at the National Stadium when Rollers meet GU in what should have a huge bearing on the title race.