�Ostriches� in top flight
Koketso Kgoboge | Tuesday February 17, 2015 16:07
They have so far collected 17 points from 21 games. Their unbeaten run stretches from as far as November 29 last year.
In their last seven games, the Ostriches have won five games, drawn two, conceded only three goals and scored 11 goals in their impressive run.
They currently occupy position four on the league table, just six points behind log leaders, Mochudi Centre Chiefs.
The Itekeng outfits have been travelling along an upward trajectory since that low point when they suffered a humiliating 6-1 defeat at the hands of Township Rollers in their own backyard.
The club’s spokesperson, Tebatso Hule, said the Township Rollers game at the beginning of the season, was an unfortunate set back.
“We should not have lost that game. Losing 6-1 to Rollers was a wakeup call for us. Maybe we were too casual as we were fresh from beating Centre Chiefs 2-1,” he said.
He revealed that during the recently closed transfer window they bolstered their squad with much needed experienced players to help the team maintain a good run.
“We obviously had a bump in the early part of the season, but we worked on it and in this period, the team is defensively strong and playing some wonderful football.
“It’s pleasing, but there is always room for improvement. “Our team has been playing with mostly the players that took the team to the elite league.
“In the just ended transfer window we roped in some experienced players in different departments to solidify the team and provide depth to the squad,” Hule said Hule also spoke of the team reaping from the experience of their coach Maxwell Moyo, who he said has instilled a winning mentality in the players. “We have a great coach in Maxwell Moyo at Orapa United who is working well with the players. We are enjoying good training facilities. We have two stadiums, one for training and the other for our games..”
He also said the welfare of the players was an important issue at Orapa United.
“We provide them with decent housing and enough training equipment. We want them to remain focused in delivering on the field of play. We do try our utmost to keep them happy.
“We also enjoy support from the fans in the Boteti region, as you will recall we merged all the teams in this region.
“As a result, we are one strong unit. We are already reaping the benefits of that,” said Hule.
Hule further spoke of their ambitions, which initially was a top eight finish, and their next game, which has been rescheduled for next week Wednesday against BDF X1.
The game was rescheduled because BDF X1 was playing a CAF Confederations Cup against Young Africans of Tanzania where they succumbed to a 2-0 defeat in Tanzania.
“Our initial intention was a top eight finish, now we see top four as our aim target, but we can’t rule out the possibilities of winning the league with 11 games to go. “We are progressing really well and we will keep pushing for the league title till the bitter end,” he said.
He said as for their next encounter with BDF XI, the Ostriches preparations were moving smoothly.
“They come at a time when our confidence is booming and we are on top of our game. “Our motivation now is different from that of our last encounter as now we believe we can challenge for the league title. We are well armed to go all the way,” he said.
Furthermore, Hule urged their fans to keep up with the team as they have been, saying the Ostriches are not in the top flight to participate but to challenge for the league and cups titles.
He said the Ostriches do not only represent Orapa but the whole of Boteti region. The ambition to become a true powerhouse in the premier league has now become a reality.