How the Zebras fared in Burundi win
Mqondisi Dube | Tuesday June 3, 2014 10:48
Kabelo Dambe 7
He was always confident and never put a foot wrong. He calmed the nerves with an assortment of saves towards the end as Burundi came charging for the all-important equaliser. He applied route one football when he found a galloping Joel Mogorosi for the goal that took the Zebras through to the next round.
Obonye Moswate 5
He is part of a new look defence, which for long periods looked permeable. He could have easily gifted the visitors the equaliser right at the death when he unnecessarily gave away possession. He needs more time and will definitely mellow into a good right back.
Edwin Olerile 7
He produced arguably his best performance in national team colours. The diminutive Gaborone United man made timely tackles and was the best player at the back.
Leutlwetse Tshireletso 5
He operated in fits and starts, twice planting dangerous back passes but fortunately, the visitors failed to punish. After the early scare, he recovered fairly well to compete.
Boitumelo Mafoko 6
He was tasked with gluing together a relatively young defence and managed to do the bare minimum. Not commanding enough for a Zebra of many battles.
Ofentse Nato 6
He did the basics right although he and Lebogang Ditsele were guilty of giving Burundi’s talisman, Saidi Ntibazonkiza too much room. He was useful going forward, agonisingly coming close to scoring on three occasions.
The first was a quick thinking move which saw him trying to lob the Burundi keeper, who was however, equal to the task, acrobatically pushing the ball for a corner.
Lebogang Ditsele 4
Before the match, the towering teenage midfielder had received glowing reviews from Zebras coach, Peter Butler. However, he found the Lobatse stage too daunting and never really got going. No wonder he was withdrawn at the interval.
Mogakolodi Ngele 4
An unfit Ngele would want to quickly erase the game from his memory.
He was found wanting on most occasions, destructively slowing movement and was taken off at half time. The gamble to play him while carrying an injury did not pay off.
Sekhana Koko 5
The flying winger looked out of sorts. In the first half, Joel Mogorosi’s constant encroaching into his territory confused the Township Rollers man. Even in the second half when he was moved into a more central role, he continued to chase shadows until he was hauled off.
Lemponye Tshireletso 5
He did not have a devastating impact on proceedings, fluffing a free kick in the first half before drifting in and out of the game.
Joel Mogorosi 8*
Played a true captain’s role and delivered his goal well after receiving a Dambe pass that by-passed the midfield. In the first half, Mogorosi failed to stick to his role as a target man, frequently trespassing into Koko and Tshireletso’s territories.
But once he stuck to his role in the second stanza, he gave the Burundi central defenders a torrid time. Mogorosi combined power, pace and skill with vicious impact.
Subs:
Kabelo Seakanyeng 6
He was full of running the moment he stepped into the pitch. He produced a magnificent lofted pass, which landed on Mogorosi’s feet but as the captain was about to pull the trigger, Burundian defenders intervened. The industrious Seakanyeng stuck to the coach’s instructions to the letter. He was quick to initiate a counter or drop back to assist the defence.
Jackie Mothatego 6
Like Seakanyeng, he breathed life into the match but toiled hard after a few sparkling moments.
Mosha Gaolaolwe
He came with just two minutes left to shore up the defence as the Zebras closed shop.
Peter Butler 7
In his first official assignment before a home crowd, he must have lost count of the number of nails he bit.
The match produced dozens of nervy moments for the home side as Burundi out-passed the Zebras. It was not the prettiest display, but Butler should be commended for his quick remedial actions. He made timely substitutions, notably pulling out struggling Ditsele and out-of-sorts Ngele.