Orapa Stay In Touch
Bonte Seepi | Monday April 18, 2016 15:53
The match started at blistering pace with Lovers dominating and they went ahead through Kudakwashe Manuwere’s strike who converted a Thato Ramotserere pass in the 6th minute.
It took only two minutes for Orapa United to level matters through Ronald Chikomo after his side was awarded a corner kick. Lovers showed urgency on their play going forward, but they failed to break the opposition’s defence.
The teams went into the break tied 1-1, but Orapa improved after recess. Chikomo completed his brace in the 52nd minute when he met Lebogang Maswena’s cross. Two minutes later, Onkabetse Makgantai put the tie to bed with the third goal, which effectively took the steam out of Lovers’ momentum. Maswena turned goal scorer in the 58th minute before Bonolo Fraiser wrapped up the points with a fifth in the 73rd minute in what was a one-sided second half.
Lovers coach, Onthusitse Kootswele decried lack of experience. He said after scoring first, the boys lost concentration.
“Immediately after we scored, our opponents equailised. This is what happens when a team plays with inexperinced players. The boys’ mental alertness was not good on the day. It is like they were still too excited about their win against Police XI, but we tried to talk to them,” said Kootswele.
Orapa mentor, Madinda Ndlovu said the win will motivate his boys as they go into the Mascom Top 8 final. “The most important thing is three points. We were playing a very stubborn team, which beat a big team. The boys managed to get the maximum points, though we were playing without six regular players including Thabang Sesinyi. We are still struggling at the back that is why the first half was very terrible for us. If we were playing a tough team we could have been punished in the first half,” said Ndlovu.
Lovers: Polite Kealeboga, Mbaakanyi Mafhika, Lazarus Pekenene, Ignatius Ramasala, Kudakushe Manuwere, Esau Tiroyamodimo (Pako Botshelo), Thato Ramotserere (Rebaone Modisaotsile), Tumo Keiketlile, Rentse Keaketse, Kabo Ikaneng (Tomeletso Tomeletso), Mathews Moruti.
Orapa: Kaelo Joseph, Kealeboga Molebatsi, Mooketsi Hlabano, Emmanuel Nlu, Kabo Mungabe, Onkabetse Makgantai (Lovemore Murirwa), Patrick Motsepe, Baboloki Makhura, Ronald Chikomo (Wabuya Aebe), Lebogang Maswena (Bonolo Fraiser), Patrick Lenyeletse.
Green Lovers (1) 1 (Manuwere 6th)
Orapa (1) 5 (Chikomo 8th, 52nd, Makgantai 54th, Maswena 58th, Fraiser 73rd)