'Small Teams' Discomfit Notwane In Q/Finals
Kabelo Boranabi | Monday March 16, 2020 11:58
Kowa led Notwane into a 2-0 win over BDF XI in the last 16 round of the Orange FA Cup played at the Molepolole Sports Complex on Friday evening.
“If I were to choose, I think it should be somebody that we know. Some of these you do not know may cause problems for us. You have to learn them when you play them, when the game is on. But if it is a team that is familiar to us, we will be able to plan better. So I would want a team that is familiar to us than the one we don’t know,” Kowa told journalists after the game.
It took just seven minutes for Notwane to take the lead. Thabiso Boti continued his mercurial goal scoring form, nodding in Katlego Koobake’s cross from close range.Notwane played some enterprising football in the early stages of the match. On the 25th minute, Boyo Lechaena centred for Boti, but the latter’s shot went wide.
Matebele had their first attempt at goal with Sphiwe Matlala’s shot aimed at the top corner parried for a corner. On the brink of half time, Godfrey Tauyatsalwa saw his shot from close range being parried for a corner. Toronto took a slim l-0 lead into the break.
Just 10 minutes in to the second half, Matlala came close with a headed effort but the attempt went narrowly wide. Six minutes later, Raymond Israel centred for Lecahena whose shot went wide. Notwane doubled the lead on the 73rd minute with Israel turned provider as Malgas tapped in from close range with the keeper beaten.
Nine minutes to time, Thabiso Khunwane cheekily lobbed a free kick to Tauyatsalwa, but the attacker shot straight into the keeper’s hands. Toronto held on to become the first side to advance into the quarterfinal.
“It is very sad. We met them at this stage of the competition last year and beat them. Today we lose. It was always going to be a difficult game. I said to the players that Notwane will come fighting and they did. Congratulations to Notwane. They executed their game plan well,” BDF XI coach, Letang Kgengwenyane said after the game.
The Teams
BDF: Tumiso Mashakola, Goitseone Kusane (Odirile Kanayo), Khunwane, Onkabetse Seforo, Onkgopotse Tsimako, Godiraone Modingwane, Tauyatsalwa, Matlala (Nonofo Chepete), Keeagile Kobe, Oratile Taunyane (Serati Semadi), Mutawakali Abubakar
Notwane: Mapitso Rapowa, Kereng Mpetang, Mpoeleng Mpoeleng, Keiponye Mphoyamodimo, Koobake, Thato Mogorosi (Kudzanani Machadzani), Sthembile Mbuqe, Lechaena,Malgas, Israel, Boti (Lungisanyi Fanyana)
Caution: Abubakar
BDF 0
Notwane 2 (Boti seventh, Malgas 73rd)