TAFIC smell blood against faltering H�landers
Koketso Kgoboge | Friday February 24, 2017 15:37
The game is scheduled for Railways Grounds tomorrow, with kick off at 4pm.
The encounter is a do or die for the chasing Highlanders who will fall eight points off the pace with a defeat.
They might also see title chasing Sua Flamingoes and Motlakase Power Dynamos climb above them. Flamingoes visit struggling Satmos while Motlakase face a tougher Morupule Wanderers in the Palapye derby, which takes place in Pilikwe.
David Bright’s Wanderers are yet to concede a goal since January.
But attention will be on the top of the table clash between TAFIC and Highlanders. TAFIC are on a nine game unbeaten run while their weekend opponents are struggling for the first three points since the second round resumed. Highlanders lost 1-0 to TAFIC in the first round fixture.
In their three games this season, Highlanders have lost one and drew two.
They come into the weekend encounter fresh from a 2-2 draw at home against Motlakase.
Highlanders’ coach, Boyo Radipotsane said despite the torrential rains that affected their preparations this week, they are focused.
“It’s a must win game for us. We know their strength and we have a plan for them and games like these are self-motivating for the players. We are confident we will bounce back,” Radipotsane said.
TAFIC will be buoyed by their first clean sheet since the beginning of the year after bulldozing flaccid Satmos 2-0 last weekend.
Optimistic interim coach, Elias Chinyemba said they have received a boost with the clearance of their Zimbabwean striker, Simbarashe Sithole and the return of livewire, Mbatshi Machongo who sat on the sidelines due to a knock last weekend.
“We have our players back from injury and we are happy our Zimbabwean striker is in contention after he was finally cleared.
It’s a very important game for us and we will not sit back.
We are going to attack from the first whistle and we will play like our lives depend on it,” he said.
In the other fixtures, on Saturday GNT welcome Real Movers, Chobe United are home to Maun Tigers and in the only Sunday encounter ECCO City Greens host TASC in the Francistown derby. All games kick-off at 4 pm.