Orapa Through To FA Cup Final
Kabelo Boranabi | Monday May 20, 2019 12:25
The two teams were locked at 1-1 after regulation time, but the Ostriches dug deep to score three goals in the extra time while the Jungle Kings simply had no reply but felt hard done by two penalty appeals.
Jungle Kings opened the scores as early as the third minute after Tapiwa Nyamanjiva hit an attempted clearance from a cross, to concede an own goal. Following the goal, the Jungle Kings set up a rather cautious approach keeping the opposition at bay.
The Ostriches missed several chances in their search of an equaliser with Mbatshi Elias, Omaatla Kebatho and Lemogang Maswena being the culprits.
Elias redeemed himself with seconds to the break as he headed home Mpho Kgaswane’s free kick to level matters as the teams went into recess level at 1-1.
The Ostriches kept the momentum in the early stages of the second half, although substitute, Bonolo Fraizer gave them a lot to think about.
Police XI had two penalty appeals waved away in the dying minutes of regulation time.
Nyamanjiva appeared to have handled the ball before Moyo was brought down inside the box, but referee Joshua Bondo gave nothing to the Jungle Kings as the teams went into the extra 30 minutes.
Substitute Onkemetse Powe gave Orapa the lead in the ninth minute of extra time as he tapped in Nyamanjiva’s free-kick. Kebatho scored the Ostriches’ third with a header from Powe’s cross beating the keeper to the top corner in the 121st minute.
Two minutes to time, Powe pounced on a loose ball and laid for Maswena whose initial shot was parried back into play by the keeper, but Powe slotted home the rebound.
“We lost the game after the penalty was denied. The boys lost concentration after that chance. It was like the game was taken away from them,” Police XI’s Mike Sithole said after the game.
“But I’m proud of the boys, we lost in the semifinals so that’s football we accept.” Orapa’s Mogomotsi Mpote lauded his side for a dominant performance in extra time.
Teams
Police XI: Bosekeng, Leririma, Pius, Batang, Nyankuba (Senwelo), Gadibolae, Molebatsi (Frazier), Seleka, Nyambi (Kgomo), Moyo, Moloi
Orapa: Malapela, Kgaswane, Nyamanjiva, Hlabano, Johnson, Makhura, Ndlovu, Mabaya, Elias (Powe), Maswena, Kebatho
Cautions: Elias, Seleka, Moyo, Moloi