Mares blast Zambia to reach first final
Kabelo Boranabi | Friday November 13, 2020 16:08
After eight unsuccessful attempts, the Mares will finally appear in the deciding match, after first half goals from Lone Gaofetoge and Refilwe Tholakele while Ireen Lungu scored the consolation goal for Shepolopolo. The two teams met last year in the same stage of the competition with Zambia emerging victorious. But this time fortunes were on the local girls’ side. The team will pocket P250,000 as an incentive from the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development.
The Mares made their intentions known early, and they went ahead in the eighth-minute when Gaofetoge caught the goalkeeper off her line with a long shot that floated to the far end of the post. The Zambians took control of the game, but conceded a penalty as Mary Wilombe handled the ball inside the penalty area. Tholakele, who started the game as a lone striker, put the ball beyond the keeper’s reach to give the Mares a 2-0 lead inside 20 minutes in what her side’s last of the two shots on target in the encounter.
Shepolopolo put everything forward trying to get back into the game with captain Barbara Banda being a constant threat to the Mares’ defence. Banda turned provider in the additional minutes of the first half as she set up Lungu who beat Sedilame Bosija from just outside the box to pull one back.
In the second half, the locals looked primed to protect their slim advantage with a very defensive approach. Shepolopolo had numerous nerve wrecking moments including Banda’s header inside the box midway through the second.
The skipper once again, had another chance at goal just before the final whistle but the effort was parried out for a corner.
Led by skipper, Bonang Otlhagile, the Mares’ defence remained resolute to book a place in the final, where they face South Africa. “We knew they were going to come at us, we knew they were going to attack, playing the balls to their jersey 11 (Banda) so we worked our game plan around that. We just needed to keep it steady and catch them on a counter. It is a final, a first for us, we are happy and who knows (the outcome of the final) we will see,” Mares’ coach, Gaolethoo ‘Ronaldo’ Nkutlwisang said after the match.
Ronaldo’s troops will play the final on Saturday afternoon in a bid to bring their first trophy home.