�Diamond� Top 8 final looms

Mqondisi Dube | Tuesday January 31, 2017 13:08

It was a rare heavy defeat for Orapa United as they fell 4-1 to Rollers.

Ndlovu conceded defeat and admitted his side stopped playing the minute the referee blew the whistle for kick-off. His counterpart and former number two, Mogomotsi ‘Teenage’ Mpote meanwhile was on cloud nine.

But while graciously accepting defeat, Ndlovu had fired a warning shot, which Rollers failed to take heed.

“You don’t come to the party, you get these kinds of results. Not any individual is to be blamed, it is the whole team. It is as a whole team, that we will go home, sit down and see where it went wrong,” Ndlovu said before he left a buzzing National Stadium.

He retreated to the diamond mine of Orapa and began plotting for the same opponent, this time in the Mascom Top 8 semi-final. Rollers, despite beating Orapa twice in the league since the 3-1 Mascom Top 8 final defeat, still believe the Ostriches have not sufficiently re-paid the debt.

Eager to put that to rest, Rollers travelled to Francistown with their chests out, hoping to emphatically banish the bitter memories from the final.

But Ndlovu again proved to be a shrewd mentor as his fired up and talent laden side recorded a comfortable 2-0 first leg victory, which puts Orapa United firmly in the driving seat ahead of the reverse encounter. Gift Moyo and Nelson Moreetsi’s arrival at Orapa from fading Nico United has left Ndlovu purring.

“Very disciplined,” he said. “He (Moreetsi) sat well in his position and closed very well in front of the box; the (new) boys played well. Gift (Moyo) is very prolific and I am confident with time he is going to get us many goals.”

Now Rollers face a mountain to climb against one of the best sides in the league to avoid what appears like a ‘diamond’ final. This is after fellow diamond miners, Jwaneng Galaxy prevailed against BDF XI scoring a priceless away goal before a yawning National Stadium on Sunday.

Thabang Sesinyi is fast proving to be the correct prescription for Mike Sithole after his off-season switch from Orapa United. Sesinyi is now on course for a second consecutive Top 8 final, albeit with a different side. Galaxy are making their debut in a competition which carries a handy P1.2 million first prize money, and like Orapa United, will want to win it at the first attempt.