Radipotsane resolute despite heavy defeat
Kabelo Boranabi | Monday February 15, 2021 14:42
Galaxy were yesterday afternoon hammered 3-0 by Pirates in the first leg of the competition’s playoff round played at the National Stadium. Goals from Thulani Hlatshwayo, Linda Mntambo and substitute Marc-Jean Mundele ensured that the Buccaneers take a comfortable lead ahead of their home fixture to be played next week. “Galaxy has 12 months without playing football, the players are not fully fit.
The other thing is that I have only five days with the first team, so I couldn’t build the right team to play a team like Pirates with so many quality players. Whilst they are fully active, they have an advantage over us.
We are still going approach the game looking for a win. They scored three here and we can still score three there and take the game to penalties,” Radipotsane said after the game. Galaxy was on the backfoot from the first moments as Ezekiel Morake was forced to make fives saves inside the first quarter hour.
The keeper denied Deon Hotto, Vincent Pule and Fortune Makaringe as the Galaxy’s defence shook under attack. Matambo hit the upright on the 22nd minute as Pirates sought an early lead.
The opener eventually came on the 32nd minute as Hlatshwayo met Hotto’s corner kick with a bullet header to open the scores.
The visitors controlled the match with little pressure from the host.
Galaxy’s first sight at goal came on the referee’s second minute of the four additional minutes as Serge Junior Dion went for goal from a tight angle but the keeper came tops. The teams went into the break with Pirates’ 1-0 lead intact.
Both sides delved into their technical benches at the start of the second half.
Galaxy replaced injured Kagiso Molapi with Gape Mohutsiwa just after the hour mark. Pirates doubled the lead with Mntambo curling from outside the box on the 81st minute.
Three minutes later, Mundele sealed the win with a well-taken shot to the bottom corner to give the Galaxy a heavy hiding. “We competed from the first minute to the last.
Their keeper was good on the day. We dominated the game; we had a lot of opportunities. The opponents also had one or two chances, but I think we were the deserved winners today,” Pirates’ coach Josef Zinnabeaur told journalists after the game.
The Teams Galaxy: Morake, Thabo Leinanyane, Molapi (Mohutsiwa), Fortune Thulare, Moagi Sechele, Lebogang Ditsele, Gift Moyo (Ricardo Lourenco), Gilbert Baruti (Lemogang Maswena), Tebogo Sebowa, Thero Setsile, Dion
Pirates: Richard Ofori, Siphesihle Ndlovu, Happy Jele, Thulani Hlatshwayo, Paseka Mako (Bongani Sam), Mntambo, Ben Motshwari, Makaringe (Azola Tshobeni), Pule (Austin Muwowo), Hotto (Marc-Jean Mundele), Terrence Dvukamanja (Kabelo Dlamini)
Caution: Motshwari
Galaxy 0
Pirates 3 (Hlatshwayo 32nd, Mntambo 81st, Mundele 84th)